Spirited Away 2: What Was Lost
by RAYNeeDAYZ
Summary: At 22 years old, Chihiro Ogino is devastated over the death of her parents. Desperate, she returns to the Spirit World in hopes of saving her parents again by working for Yubaba. With nobody recognizing her, Chihiro may find... FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Black Beads

**A/N: Hello everyone, I am RAYNeeDAYZ! I just watched "Spirited Away" for the first time in seven years and loved it just as much as I had when I was a child. Being disappointed that there is no sequel to such a great movie, I set out to read the next best thing: fanficition. And let me tell you, there are some FANTASTIC stories written on this site alone, and I that I would write one of my own. This is my second attempt at writing the first chapter, since the first comment I got was not too friendly, and the person said that english is probably not my first language (it IS btw). So I tweaked it and here it is again. **

**You may be confused as to who's who in the beginning of the chapter, but it should be cleared up at the end.**

**Disclaimer: I own only this story. I do not own Spirited Away or any of the characters.**

**Full Summary: At 22 years old, Chihiro Ogino has lost the very things that she tried so hard to save during her time in the Spirit World; her parents. Devastated, she becomes a former shell of what she used to be. But through determination and a desperate dream, Chihiro seeks to return to the Spirit World in hopes of saving her parents again by the same way she had the first time; working for Yubaba. None of the spirits recognize Chihiro, which suits her just fine. But encounters with old friends will rekindle the love and memories that she once shared with them, and she may just find something else other than the lives of her parents.**

The girl was young - merely 20 years old, getting ready for the first day of her job. Despite the all-black dress code, the woman's eyes glinted with excitement. She was on her own for the first time, and this day would unfold the first chapter of her new life.

Though her parents disapproved of her career path, the girl had always wanted to be a waitress - the job was perfect for her. She was very bright and loved to talk to people. Everything she said had a trace of kindness and enthusiasm, and everybody who crossed her path loved her immediately. In addition to her downright personality, the girl had a talent of suppressing her emotions behind a perfect smile of dazzling teeth, and she decided to use that talent to deal with rude or angry customers.

It had taken the woman a long time to master the skill. As a child, she was constantly mocked by her peers for her over-imaginative mind filled with colorful fantasies and desires, which she often told of as if they were real. The other children proclaimed her insane, and that she could not accept the real world - the _only_ world - that was handed to her. Alone and discriminated, the girl was prone to instant tears and rash actions influenced by anger. But even though she was emotionally defeated, the girl still retained her unwavering optimism. Driven by her positive attitude, the girl hardened her sensitivity and locked it away beneath and authentic set of white canines. To her tormentors, it appeared that the girl was no longer plagued by their glaring eyes and pointing fingers. She proved to them that she would not give in to their insulting taunts so easily. With her strong demeanor, the girl was finally accepted into the childrens' exclusive society. With time, her fantasies ceased to exist in her mind, and the only thing that reminded her of them was the flawless smile that she had held in place for so long as a bullied schoolgirl.

Now, that same girl looked through the reflection of a window of a parked car for a self-examine before pushing through the doors of "Aoi Uso".

The restaurant was empty, as it was only 6:43 in the morning. To the woman, it was strange to see such a popular place so vacant. The usually full tables were bare of plates, utensils, drinks, and of course, people. Somewhere in the back was the low, constant drone of a working refrigerator, and right behind the woman was the airy sound of passing cars. But everything else was silent.

The woman still stood in the doorway, deciding whether to remain where she was or venture further in the restaurant when the sound of walking heels sounded from the back. The footsteps crept closer towards the entry, and a minute later an older woman emerged from the doorway that had the word "KITCHEN" painted in gold across its surface.

Though the stranger was older than the girl, she was still young. She appeared to be in her early thirties; a black waitress uniform hugged her petite body, and she - like the girl - had long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. The woman's face was pretty and defined, but early hints of aging were beginning to show in the sags beneath her eyes.

"Oh!" The older woman, who had been expecting the girl, still jumped at the sight of her standing in the entrance. Taking in the clothing of the new face, she quickly composed herself. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in - I was in the back." The older woman walked across the room and held out an outstretched hand. "My name is Aiko. I'm the manager of 'Aoi Uso.' And I'm guessing from that uniform that you must be our new worker that I spoke to over the phone... correct me if I'm wrong."

The girl reached out to shake Aiko's hand. "Yup, that's me." Grinning, she formally introduced herself to her boss. "I'm Natsumi. I'll be working for you from now on. It's a pleasure to meet you."

xxxxx

"You place orders here, but you pick them up there. If there happens to be a mess, you clean it up with this. Utensils are kept in that, and at the end of the day make sure this goes here..."

Natsumi struggled to keep up with Aiko, both physically and mentally. Aiko had been familiarizing Natsumi with the job by leading her around the whole restaurant while muttering tips and lessons. But Natsumi practically had to jog to keep up with Aiko, and she struggled to remember the seemingly endless list of instructions.

Other employees began to file in the restaurant throughout Aiko's tour. Each one of them glanced curiously at the new girl before assuming his everyday position.

"...and don't forget - the customer is always right." Aiko stopped and turned to face Natsumi. "Any questions?"

Natsumi was overwhelmed, yet overjoyed all the same; this was the life she had waited so long for. By then, "Aoi Uso" was bustling with black uniforms. The scent of fresh meat wafted from the kitchen, and the once silent room was now pierced by the sounds of clinking silverware and barked commands.

Just directly to the left, a flash of purple color traveling in a circular motion gleamed where it caught the light. But it was nothing but a sparkled hair tie wrapped around the wrist of a co-worker who was wiping down a nearby table. Unlike every other woman employee, this girl had her long hair down, which completely covered her face. As another worker walked through the entrance, a gust of wind from outside found its way to the sparkly-hair tie girl. It blew her hair from her face, and Natsumi could feel her eyes widen - the girl was breathtakingly gorgeous. Although she wore no makeup, Natsumi felt sure that no model or celebrity could compete against this girl's beauty. Her facial features were perfect, yet there was not a hint of emotion among them. Her full lips curved down into a seemingly permanent frown, and her eyebrows neither arched up in happiness nor down in sadness. The girl's dark, protruding eyes seemed to be the most noticeable feature. They were in the direction of the girl's task at hand, yet at the same time they seemed to be completely detached. Nothing appeared in those eyes - they didn't even reflect the blinding lights of the restaurant. Two black beads would have held more life in them than those eyes.

The girl paused slightly to grab both sides of her hair and push it back around her face before moving on to wipe another table.

"Who is that?" Coming from Natsumi, it sounded more like an awe than a question.

Aiko followed Natsumi's line of vision, then stiffened when she landed on the subject. "Her? That's Chihiro. She doesn't talk much."

"Why not?"

"Chihiro's a little insecure... she mostly keeps to herself."

Natsumi raised her eyebrows. "_She's _insecure? But she's so cute!"

Aiko mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't have even mentioned Chihiro. "_Natsumi is only on her first day_," she thought. "_Maybe I'll tell her the dig on Chihiro another time. But then again..._" Aiko had taken note of Natsumi's bubbly, determined self, and knew that whether Aiko avoided the question or lied and said that Chihiro was a permanent mute of some sort, Natsumi would attempt to confront the girl herself and probably goad her with uncomfortable questions. And Aiko definitely did not want Chihiro to get upset, for Aiko would blame herself if Chihiro tried to hurt herself again.

Mind made up, Aiko grabbed Natsumi's elbow and steered her towards the back corner of the room. She scanned the floor to make sure that nobody - especially Chihiro - was going to eavesdrop on them. With everyone busy with work, Aiko proceeded to tell Natsumi what every other employee already knew about Chihiro.

"As you just saw, it's pretty obvious that Chihiro isn't the happiest person," Aiko began, nervously twining the tip of her ponytail through her fingers. "But she wasn't always like that. In fact, she used to be the brightest person here!"

Natsumi could feel herself tense. Why was the boss dragging her into a corner just to discuss a fellow co-worker? Was she not supposed to have asked about the girl named 'Chihiro?'

"And you know-" Aiko continued. "Chihiro moved into this town when she was only ten. Back then, she and her parents weren't too close with each other. Chihiro viewed her parents as the people who robbed her of her childhood home, school, and friends. But Chihiro matured into a fine, young lady. She ended up loving her new home and was able to make many friends at school. She began to understand the meanings behind her parents' decisions."

"Not to offend or interject," Natsumi said, still confused at where the conversation was going. "But how do you know all of this if it's from Chihiro's point of view?"

Aiko laughed. "Well, she told me! Chihiro started working here when she was only sixteen. Since I was the second youngest person next to her, me and her bonded quickly. She told me pretty much everything that was happening at home. I remember her saying that she didn't give her parents enough credit for always wanting the best for her." Aiko sighed. "I'm going past the main point, aren't I? In short, Chihiro grew to love her parents more than ever before.

"But then there was the accident. The Ogino's car was smashed by a drunk driver and was flipped three times."

An innocent conversation had sharply veered into a horror story.

Natsumi paled, and her eyes immediately flashed to Chihiro, who was swirling a soggy mop about the floor. Had somebody so pretty and innocent really been through such a horrific moment?

Aiko nodded as if she had answered Natsumi's unspoken question. "Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Ogino were both killed immediately upon impact."

Natsumi put her hand over her mouth, too stunned to piece together the facts that Aiko was telling her. She had not expected to receive such a terrible story about somebody working not twenty feet away from where she currently stood.

"Thankfully, Chihiro walked away with only minor cuts and a broken arm.

"But she also walked away with a broken heart. Chihiro had always said that one day she would show her parents her appreciation. She didn't know how she would or when for that matter, but it was a wish that she intended to fulfill. That's why it tore her apart to be there at the time of her parents' death without them knowing how much they meant to her. Chihiro mourned for several days. She wouldn't talk to anybody.

"It frightened me when I saw what had become of her with my own eyes. She refused to eat, and her lack of energy made me think that she suffered from severe insomnia. But her neighbors claimed that insomnia was not the case, because they could hear her screaming in her sleep every night. The vibrant Chihiro everybody used to know died with her parents that day.

"I've never felt so helpless, watching her silently suffer day by day. Eventually, I guess Chihiro couldn't take the anguish anymore. Aside from Mrs. Takagi who had caught Chihiro in the act, I was the first person the police called when she was found hanging inside her home."

"What-"

"Of course Chihiro survived," Aiko reassured Natsumi. "But that wasn't the only time it happened. Chihiro tried to end her life on various occasions. Her 'methods' ranged from drug overdose, stabbing herself, and even jumping in front of trains. Yet strangely enough, Chihiro managed to walk away every time with insignificant injuries."

For a wild moment, Natsumi thought that Aiko was playing a prank on her – the new girl. After all, who lived after purposely trying to die through such extreme measures? Chihiro deserved to be famous for her seemingly invincibility!

"Some thought that she would do better off in a mental institution, but I was able to force her to see a therapist daily. Although the sessions have helped coax her out of her insane quests for death, I suppose it ended our friendship. She didn't want anybody's help.

"The accident was seven years ago, and even at age 29, Chihiro is still very sensitive about the whole topic. Though her suicide attempts have since diminished, I wouldn't doubt that she doesn't go a day hoping it to be her last."

Natsumi leaned back into the wall, suddenly shocked back into the real world. When she had asked about Chihiro, it had only been in regard as to why she didn't talk. Natsumi had no idea that such sadness could be bottled up within one person for such a long time.

Natsumi didn't know what to make of this tragic story. Chihiro was ripped apart, but couldn't she see the positives that life had to offer? She was alive, even after the numerous encounters with death. And even if she was still hurt, shouldn't she at least _act_ like everything was okay? In doing so, everything actually does get better. A lie that sugarcoats disaster turns into a truth when the being associated can convince himself and others that everything is fine.

"I think," Natsumi began, renewing Aiko's attention, "that Chihiro should smile more."

xxxxx

_The Oginos were going out on a family outing, something they did every Friday since they first moved into town. Mr. Oginio was driving, and Mrs. Ogino sat in the passenger seat. Every now and then one of them looked back to throw their daughter a loving gaze, which Chihiro always returned with a smile of her own. How she loved them._

_Chihiro rolled down the window from her seat in the car, and let the wind blow through her ponytail. It was a great day - the sun shone happily upon the earth, and fat clouds rolled lazily across the sky. Right then and there, she decided to take down her everyday hairstyle for a change. The glittering purple hair tie released its hold on her hair and was pulled over her left wrist. _

_Chihiro held up her wrist and examined the tie like it was a watch. It was the only thing that reassured __her that her time in the Spirit World was not a dream. Zeniba had made such a thing, and she claimed __that it would protect Chihiro. Chihiro didn't know what that meant, but the small trinket made her __happy; it reminded her of Kamaji and Lin and Boh and Haku..._

_She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the car on the right coming straight towards her family. The car was traveling at a rate far beyond the speed limit, and it tore through the intersection without hesitation._

_The vehicles collided, and the unnatural sound of metal on metal tore through Chihiro's train of thought. Before she could process what was happening, she was thrown to the side as far as her seatbelt would allow her to go, and then felt the sickening twist of her right arm. She was too dazed to scream, and her body continued to lurch this way and that. She couldn't tell what direction the car was moving in - it just seemed like a series of endless, dizzying flips and spins._

_Somewhere in the back of her subconsciousness did she mind the burning sensation that encircled her left wrist. But this was overlooked by the current situation._

_The windows shattered and flew towards her in a frenzy of shards, opening small cuts in her flesh. Chihiro instinctively held her arms over her face, but found that her right arm was hindered by pain. _

_Her mother's screaming that had been in synchronization with the moaning clatter of metal was suddenly cut off prematurely. Her father still sat in the driver's seat, but was limp and tossed about like a rag doll._

_The car skidded to a stop. And even though she didn't know it yet, so did Chihiro's life._

Chihiro shuddered out of the memory and continued to mop up the floor. Her hair tie was still bound to her wrist as it had been seven years ago. After the accident, Chihiro found that the tie was unremovable. Whenever she tried to take it off, it tugged at her skin. It was as if the tie had emerged as one with her body; she could even feel her blood pulsing through its stitching. Chihiro had puzzled over the hair tie, but decided that she didn't care about it all that much. She didn't care about anything all that much.

Chihiro knew that she needed to move on. The accident was seven years ago, and she still acted as if it was yesterday. But then again, she remained the same age for seven years in a row.

After the accident, Chihiro noticed that she did not seem to age. By the ages of 25, everyone she knew her age was starting to change; they grew taller, they gained weight, their facial structures shifted, their very personalities changed. But Chihiro didn't change in the least - the length of her hair didn't even grow. Though she had been living for 29 years, Chihiro was not necessarily 29 years of age. She was stuck at the age of 22 forever; the very age that she had been when the extreme levels of agony had been introduced into her life. She did not have a clue as to why she did not mellow with the passing years. All she figured was that if she kept hidden beneath her hair, nobody would question her young, preserved face.

Along with being forever young, Chihiro could forever live.

When the pain of living had become too much for her, Chihiro had attempted to end her life. She had tied a noose at the top of the doorway leading into her parents' room, hoping that dying in the room of the people she loved the most would ensure that she would meet them in the after life. When she was actually hanging, nothing happened. The rope was taut against her neck, yet her breaths came out evenly. She had not realized that she had been hanging for three and a half hours when a concerned neighbor entered the house to check on her. The neighbor had let out a startled scream upon finding Chihiro attached in the air, then quickly dialed an ambulance before Chihiro could stop her. Chihiro didn't even know that neighbor's name.

Chihiro was baffled at the fact that she was indeed still living. So she set out in hopes for another entry in death. Chihiro bought a bottle of strong sleeping pills, and managed to ingest 32 of them in only a matter of minutes. She had felt horribly fatigued, and then felt the sharp claws ripping at her from the inside out. She lost consciousness, then woke up in the hospital. The same neighbor who had found her hanging had found her lying on the kitchen floor as well. Chihiro left the hospital with no serious blows to her health.

When Chihiro tried again to die, she made sure that her neighbors would not interfere. She ran to the train tracks just outside of her town, and watched as the train's headlights glided towards her until she was blinded by them. She could feel the agonizing impact of the train, and it seemed that her motive would finally be carried out. But to her dismay, she woke up on the side of the tracks with nothing but a fractured ankle.

People called it a "miracle." Chihiro called it a "curse." So she could not die, but she could still feel the worst pains that were found in life? It hardly seemed fair. On top of that, Aiko had forced Chihiro into seeing some psychotic man who had claimed that he would "save" her. He was never going to save her. Nobody was ever going to save her. Why couldn't they see that? It was Chihiro who was trying to save herself. Why couldn't they leave her alone and let her keep trying to destroy the strangling pain of loss?

By then, Chihiro's shift at "Aoi Uso" came to an end. She nodded a goodbye to Aiko, who was serving food with the new girl, 'Natulu' or 'Natsuki,' or whatever her name was.

"See you tomorrow, Chihiro."

If Chihiro was still normal, then she might have felt sympathy for the sadness in her former friend's tone. But Chihiro simply walked out the door without looking back.

**A/N So what do you think? It's my first fanfiction ever. If you're confused about why I did not introduce Aiko or Natsumi's name until later in the chapter, then you're not the only one, because I'm confused too. I honestly forget why I didn't say their names until later. But once my mind is made up, theres no changing it, even if I do forget my motives. Anyway, you'll soon find out that Zeniba's magical hair tie has something to do with Chihiro not aging and dying (just in case you're confused about that too). Don't worry about future chapters, because this is the last chapter that Natsumi will be mentioned, even if she had a lot of details about her. And in case you're wondering, "Aoi Uso" means "Blue Lie." I already have the second chapter halfway written, and I'll try to finish it ASAP. Even though this is only the first chapter and I doubt anybody will read it, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Return

**A/N I had already started writing the first chapter when I made a fanfiction account, but there was apparently a two day period before uploading anything! Two days!? Now that's a bit ridiculous. But with all the waiting time, I managed to finish chapter 2. So enjoy!**

Chihiro knew she was dreaming, for the ever present pain that lingered when she was awake was numbed. There was also the matter that she stood in the middle of an old-style japanese bridge that overlooked miles and miles of a waveless ocean. Across the bridge stood a great, old building. Its red color had grown dull with the passing ages, but the building itself still managed to make itself inviting. Chihiro could sense activity emitting from inside the building, but did not make an effort to go inside. This was the very building that she had once been bound to, and she barely made it out.

The building was a bathhouse. Specifically, it was Yubaba's bathhouse; the bathhouse that served thousands of spirits and gods.

Chihiro usually dreamt up replays of the car accident, so she did not have a clue as to why her subconscious had conjured up the Spirit World. She hadn't given it much thought for a few years, even if it had been a bizarre journey.

Even in a dream, Chihiro wasn't too fond of the Spirit World, and she began walking down the opposite end of the bridge.

"Where are you going, Sen?"

Chihiro hadn't heard anyone call her that in nineteen years. Surely the unidentified speaker was no human.

Chihiro turned around, and her suspicions were confirmed. The middle of the bridge where Chihiro had been previously standing was now occupied by a plump, old woman. The woman wasn't fat, but she was practically a giant. Her body - the width of at least five grown men - supported an inhumanely large head. Her face was ripened of wrinkles, and purple makeup caked her eyelids. Upon her forehead was a large wart, which sat directly above an incredibly large nose. The woman's gold-gray hair was piled up into a neat bun, and she wore various jeweled rings across her fingers. Her attire consisted of a plain dark blue dress, and two yellow orb-like studs adorned her ears.

"Yubaba." Although pronounced the name lifelessly, she felt surprised. When was the last time she had actually spoken out-loud, even in a dream?

"Yubaba? No, you've got the wrong witch. I'm Zeniba." Zeniba's lips curled up into a tentative smile. "My, you've really grown into a beauty. It's always surprising to see the drastic changes that a human is capable of going through."

Chihiro simply stared at the witch.

"We haven't seen each other in almost two decades, which must surely feel like an eternity to a human. Jeez, couldn't you _pretend_ that you're happy to see me?" Zeniba joked.

Without a word, Chihiro continued to walk down the bridge. In a flash, Zeniba was blocking the exit.

"Where are you going?" Zeniba repeated. "Don't tell me that you don't remember this place."

"No, I remember," Chihiro said, her voice flat. "It's just that there is nothing here for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I lived in this world for the sake of my parents. But since they're gone, this world holds no purpose to me whatsoever." Chihiro remembered seeking out Zeniba to return the seal that Haku had stolen. Despite being robbed, Zeniba reached out to Chihiro and helped her find the courage to free her parents. But what good would courage do now in a dream when the people whom she had wanted to save the most were dead?

"Ah, yes. I am truly sorry for your loss. I understand that the loss of loved ones is always traumatic. But that doesn't mean that you should view everything with a closed mind. I think that you should come back - it would help you."

"Didn't you hear what I just said? My motive for being here was-"

"There were other motives for being in this world." Zeniba grasped one of Chihiro's hands in her own. "Though you unintentionally discovered this place, you made many friends whose lives were changed because of you.

"No Face was a spirit that represented the embodiment of the emotions of everyone around him. The gold he created was fake, influenced by the greed of those around him. But you refused the gold, whether you knew if it was counterfeited or not. No Face had become obsessed with you and your sincereness, and it angered him to be refused of the only thing he could give in an attempt to win your compassion. Even though he almost ate you, you allowed him to accompany you on your trip to see me. If you had not forgiven him, his own greed would have consumed him.

"Boh had been a baby for quite some time, and he constantly relied on Yubaba. She shielded him away from the rest of the world and he never left his room. He got the crazy idea in his head that if he went anywhere outside his safety zone, he would undoubtedly contract 'germs'. On the train ride was Boh able to see that the world wasn't filled with 'germs', but was wonderful and exciting. If you had never taken him along with you, then he would have remained a spoiled brat forever. And you know, I _did_ have a part in that from when I shrunk him into a 'traveling' size.

"And when his river was paved over by humans, Haku felt completely at loss; part of his soul had been erased. Yubaba used this as an advantage to imprison him as her henchman. She took his name and identity, and Haku became trapped by his own mind. He didn't know who he was or what had been taken from him. That is, until you came into the picture. You and Haku had met before on his river, and you both eventually remembered that. However, only you were able to remember Haku's real name, which ultimately resulted in his freedom. And-"

"I get it, I was able to help others," Chihiro cut Zeniba off. "But I would've never been able to do all that if I hadn't set out for my parents. I worked for their freedom alone. Besides, I don't need any 'help.'"

"That is a significant understatement. You, a human, creature that was created to _live_, wants to _die_. You need help." Zeniba sighed. "Besides, you can work for my sister for a different reason. One that just may be the key to your happiness."

Another reason to work for Yubaba? Chihiro had never even considered returning to the Spirit World.

"What other reason would there be for me to-" Zeniba's face began to blur in Chihiro's vision. "What's happening?"

"It appears that you are simply waking up," replied the blurry witch. A moment later, Zeniba herself began to melt into the breeze. The witch's departure stung more than what Chihiro had expected now that she was finding herself all alone again.

"Where are you going?" Chihiro cried. "Tell me what this 'different reason' is!"

"You will soon find out yourself, Sen." Zeniba's words drifted like an echo even while the witch's body was nowhere in sight. "We shall meet again."

"I don't have time for your riddles," Chihiro grumbled. " Just... Just don't leave me!"

_Don't leave me..._

Chihiro woke up, but kept her eyes closed for a minute before actually opening them. She craned her neck towards the window next to her bed. It was still dark, but the calls of morning birds echoed through the empty streets. She estimated it to be about three or four in the morning.

"_I should've asked Zeniba what this thing was all about,_" she thought as her left wrist was lifted to her face.

Had Zeniba really appeared to Chihiro in her dream through some shape or form? Or was it nothing but a dream? Either way, she had told Chihiro that there was a reason for returning to the Spirit World. But what could that possibly be? Chihiro had no excuse or desire to work for Yubaba again.

Unless...

Unless the reason to return was the same reason as the first time. Maybe Zeniba was trying to tell Chihiro that she could work for Yubaba again for the same goal: her parents. After all, her parents made what Zeniba had called the key to Chihiro's happiness. Although the prize was the same, the reason was different. The first reason for laboring at the bathhouse was so her parents would turn back from pigs into humans. If she were to employ a second time, could she work for her parents to be reanimated?

Chihiro had no idea how the Spirit World worked when it came to life and death. Blinded by hope, the laws and odds did not apply in her mind. That's why she came to the conclusion so quickly that her parents could be brought back.

She shrugged out of her tank-top and sweatpants, throwing on a fresh t-shirt and jeans. She ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet. At the door, she hesitated as to whether she should leave a note somewhere that would fabricate her whereabouts for quite some time. She eventually decided that nobody would come check on her anyway (besides that pesky neighbor) and stepped out into the misty dawn.

Chihiro shivered again as she stepped further into the darkness of the early, sunless morning. Even then, she did not regret her decision to not own a car. Just looking at one brought about a round of flashbacks that plagued her mind.

She was already halfway up the road, and by now she could see where the concrete road paved into a dirt one. The sky paled into lavender, then was swept by strokes of orange where the first signs of daybreak emerged. Chihiro quickened her gait; if transportation to the Spirit World was inaccessible, then she did not want to be late for work.

To her right, Chihiro noticed the small shrines that dotted the ground. She had asked her mother what they were when they had first moved here. Maybe they would have the chance to visit them together again.

Chihiro increased her pace to a jog, and she followed the forgotten dirt road that snaked through the thicket of woods. Every few hundred feet, an ominous stone statue could be spotted among the trees. Chihiro had caught a glimpse of one when she was ten years old after her father had taken the wrong turn down this very road.

After what had seemed like an hour of running, Chihiro could make out the end of the road and beginning of the tunnel. In front of the tunnel stood another statue, green with moss, with a smiling face on opposite sides. She recalled being somewhat afraid of it when she had protested the venture of her family into the tunnel. Chihiro slowed to a walk and stopped next to it, putting her hands on her knees for a breather. She had not been this active since the accident.

Energy restored, Chihiro straightened herself and headed straight into the tunnel. The end of it could not be seen, and she was swallowed up into darkness. The rising sun however lit up the path, and it poured out to her from the tunnel's end.

Chihiro reached the end and was brought outside. She was met with endless grassy plains and the yellow glow of the sun's first appearance. She continued up the dirt path that had broken up into stairs. The scent of delicious food pulled at her hunger, tempting her to find it. But Chihiro knew better; eating the food reserved for the gods would send her straight to the pigpen. She ignored the protesting growls of her stomach and continued to push onward.

The path had led her into an abandoned town. Old buildings lined the road, which Chihiro blew right past.

She reached what she had been looking for: the bathhouse. It seemed more familiar than she had thought, thanks to her exquisitely detailed dream she had not two hours ago. The only thing that separated her from it was the bridge. Chihiro threw herself across, reaching the entrance. She pulled and pushed at the closed doors; they didn't budge.

Chihiro had known that she was not in the Spirit World - she just didn't want to admit it. When she had first visited the bathhouse, there were strange signs of production; smoke wheezed from the chimney and water poured from the side. But now, there was absolutely no sign of activity. She seemed to be the only sign of life that the deserted amusement park had to offer. With a defeated sigh, Chihiro began the long walk back home.

But she wouldn't give up; her dream had fueled her with willpower and strength. She knew that her parents were waiting to be rescued. She would come back everyday until she was no longer in the human world.

Chihiro reached the stairs leading into the empty fields. The path that she walked upon started to change in texture. The path was of hard compact dirt, but it began to feel like she was walking on a swampy marsh; it had a peculiar bounce to it. Chihiro looked down at the soles of her shoes then at the ground for anything out of the ordinary. Was a spirit playing tricks on her?

Chihiro jumped high in the air to lunge at the path. But when she landed, the path dispersed and she was plunged into an endless sea of water.

**A/N Yay, Chihiro made it back to the Spirit World! I hope you enjoyed the chapter even though it wasn't as good as the first one. I know I'm making up excuses now, but I wanted to get this chapter out ASAP. When I finished writing it, my "2 days of waiting to prevent spam" were up, and I didn't edit it a ton like chapter one. But despite that I hope that you will continue to follow this story. Chapter three is right around the corner!**


	3. Unrecognized

**A/N I give out a personal thanks to emilyywassup, the first person to review my story! Your compliment has driven me to write chapter three a week early. So enjoy!**

Chihiro gasped for air as she splashed wildly in the water. She swam to the edge of the land, climbing out on hands and knees while choking out water.

Finally able to inhale a steady breath, she looked around. Could it be...?

She was back! The first and possibly the hardest step towards her goal was complete!

Chihiro's triumphant grin vanished when she saw that her body was dissolving into thin air. She could see the rays of the sun travel right through her transparent skin, and her shadow began to fade away. Of course - this had happened when she first came here. Unless they ate food found in the Spirit World, humans would dematerialize into nothing. Before she completely disappeared, Haku had given her some kind of pill or herb that saved her. But right now, Haku and his "magic medicine" were nowhere in sight.

"Oh no..." Chihiro began to panic. The food she had smelled before was reserved for spirits. If she ate some, Yubaba would surely turn her into a pig. Her heart began to race. What was she going to do?

Chihiro's stream of frantic thoughts abruptly changed focus as her hair band began to heat her skin. Her shirt clung wetly to her body, and her jeans had all but absorbed the water through its seams where it uncomfortably made contact with her skin. Even so, the coolness that this recent contact with water had to offer was not enough to distract her from the blistering heat of her left wrist. The band's temperature rapidly increased, and she watched in a sickened awe as water droplets that trailed down her left arm dried out and evaporated right before they reached her wrist. Chihiro attempted to pry the hair tie off, but as usual, it remained fastened to her body.

She threw herself to the ground and dragged herself back to the edge of the land. She plunged her left arm into the lapping waves in hope of putting out the fire. The attempt was futile, and the tie only grew hotter; the water was beginning to bubble in a small circle around her arm. Chihiro drew her arm back, her eyes frantic.

She laid on her side in terror, squeezing her eyes shut. Yet within a matter of seconds, the band began to cool until she no longer felt it. Was she dead? Hesitating, she opened one eye and held up her left arm for examination. What she saw was her solid, non-transparent arm that had not been fried off her body. Chihiro sat up straight, confused. Her body was whole again, and she swiveled her hands front and back, then gazed down at her legs to make sure she had not disappeared.

Relief flooded her heart, slowing down its anxious thumping. Why she hadn't vanished into thin air, Chihiro didn't know. She was just grateful that she was still alive.

After wringing out the water from her hair and clothes, she proceeded to climb the stairs leading up to the town.

"Mother, Father... I shall save you soon."

The once deserted town was now bustling with spirits. Most of them towered over Chihiro with their shadow-like figures, but Chihiro could spot more diverse spirits as she neared the bathhouse. A group of walking flowers turned their yellow noses in her direction. One of them flared it's red petals in anger.

"What is a _human _doing here? This world is closed off to the likes of you. Get lost, will ya?"

The rants of the flower caught the attention of other spirits. They turned towards Chihiro in curiosity and disbelief.

"A human? Where?"

"Ugh, the stench of her is making me sick."

"Huh? That's the second human we've had in almost twenty years!"

The _second_ human? More like the _same_ human! A strange feeling grew from inside Chihiro's stomach, and it peppered her whole body with excitement. Her eyes opened wide with shock as she realized that she was giggling. She couldn't even remember the last time she even smiled, and here she was laughing as creatures of all shapes and sizes criticized her very presence.

She had reached the bridge again. The spirits parted to the sides as she walked through the middle. She did her best to ignore their glaring eyes. At the entrance of the bathhouse stood the assistant manager, greeting the newcomers.

"Welcome! Good morning, sir! Please come in! We have fast assistance to tend to your every needs, and-" He stopped at the sight of Chihiro walking his way. "A... a human? _Again?_"

All the workers at the bathhouse still spoke of Sen. She was the first human to have touched their hearts, and they all missed her dearly. But that didn't mean that they would welcome other humans to their bathhouse. Sen was one in a million, and it would be rare that the one on the bridge right now would be anything like her. Already the assistant manager could see that this human was different from their Sen. Sen had been tentative with everything she did, but would work up her bravery when it was necessary. She had been short and child-like, but cared for even those who wanted nothing to do with her. The human before him now was lengthier and older. She had purpose in her stride, like she had fully intended to come here.

Chihiro reached the assistant manager and stopped in front of him. She wondered if he recognized her.

Apparently he did not. "Humans aren't supposed to... be... here..." His authority-like tone had grown cold. The eyes of this human bore right through his soul like she knew exactly who he was. He couldn't believe that he was cowering from a _human!_

He cleared his voice. "I suggest that you go back to wherever you came from. You're stressing our guests with that awful smell of yours! So go on, get out of here!"

Chihiro was slightly taken aback at what she was hearing. He didn't recognize her?

A group of bath girls gathered from the doorway and gazed at her curiously.

Nobody recognized her.

Chihiro was going to tell them who she really was, then stopped. "_It's better if I keep my identity hidden_," she thought. "_They must hate me for almost destroying the bathhouse. And why should I go out of my way to reintroduce myself? I didn't come here for a reunion. Besides, Yubaba might not let me have my job back if she knows that I already worked here._"

"Didn't you hear me? I said that you and your awful-"

"I would just _love_ to hear you bitch about my hygiene," Chihiro said coldly. "But I would appreciate it if you would take me to Yubaba."

"How do you know...?"

"Take me to her. _Now."_

Even after swallowing loudly to clear his throat, the assistant manager could not form any words to say to the frightening human girl. She was a creature that had seemingly come straight from hell, and there was no way that he was going to stand in the way of whatever she wanted.

"Are you going to do as I ask?" Chihiro questioned, impatient.

With a shaky nod and a gesture to follow, the assistant manager turned on his heels and walked through the bathhouse with Chihiro right behind him. Every few strides he threw a nervous glance behind his shoulder like he was waiting to be attacked by her.

Workers stopped and stared as they walked.

"A human?"

"Could she possibly be...?"

"No, theres no way she could be Sen. I mean, look at her!"

"She looks kind of mad..."

Both Chihiro and the assistant manager ignored the comments that were being said. They reached the elevator. The workers who were getting out at their level stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of a human.

"What are you waiting for? Get to work!"

They obeyed the assistant manager's commands and brushed passed them, but immediately turned their heads to stare at Chihiro.

The A.M. pulled the lever down, and the twosome went up.

The elevator was quiet and awkward. Chihiro simply put her hands in her pockets and rocked on her heels. The A.M was petrified; what was wrong with this girl? Why wasn't she reacting to this unfamiliar world? Could she be a demon in disguise?

The elevator arrived at the destination. They were on the top floor - Yubaba's residence. The A.M. gathered up his courage and turned to Chihiro.

"Okay miss, go down the hall and-"

Chihiro had already stepped out of the elevator and was off to Yubaba's room. The elevator doors closed behind her with a very confused assistant manager on board.

Down the hall were two, wide doors. Chihiro took the doorknocker and pounded it into the frame, since it had criticized her for not doing so when she was ten.

"Ow! Be more gentle with me, you stupid human!" complained the doorknocker, its brass surface twisting into that of an angry expression.

Chihiro snickered. "Just expressing my manners."

The doorknocker scowled, then opened the doors. Inside were many other sets of doors, which opened before her. They formed a long hallway, lighted by overhead chandeliers.

Before Yubaba could forcefully pull her in, Chihiro entered herself. She was surprised to see how much she remembered since she took the correct route to Yubaba's room without hesitation.

Chihiro entered the massive room. Yubaba was sitting at her desk, hands folded expectantly.

"Why hello dearie, how may I help you?" Yubaba mocked. Even Yubaba didn't recognize Chihiro.

"Give me a job."

"Ha! A job to a _human? _First, would you like to humor me and tell me why you're here? I didn't turn anyone you knew into pigs, did I?"

"No."

"Exactly. You have no reason work here, or a reason to _want _to work here. What, was your human job not good enough for you?" Yubaba took a pull on her cigarette.

Chihiro _did _have a reason to work - to regain the lives of her parents. But she didn't dare say that.

"You're awfully quiet now considering you stormed in here."

On the contrary, Chihiro would have argued against Yubaba's speculation. The last few hours had been the most Chihiro has ever talked over the last few years. But Chihiro needed the witch to think that she was a simple and docile human who only wanted to work for her own survival.

"Was God so busy in carving up that pretty little face of yours that he forgot to put a brain in there?" Yubaba continued, exhaling smoke in Chihiro's face. "Tell me, what's your name?"

Chihiro remembered her vow to keep her identity a secret. "My name is Aiko." She took the name of what used to be her only friend in the human world.

"So Aiko, you really want a job here? That's just _fine_ with me. It's my generous policy that grants _everyone _a job. But little mistakes have big consequences. There was another human girl here not too long ago. She worked for me to bring her pigs of parents back home." Chihiro realized that Yubaba was referring to her. "Don't get me wrong, she was a very productive worker. The other employees couldn't even be compared to her. But she made the teensy mistake of letting a demon spirit into my bathhouse. He ended up eating three of my employees and cost me half of my gold to fix the damages. Do you know what happened to the girl?"

"_She made it home and lived happily bloodily after,_" Chihiro thought sarcastically.

"I turned her into a pig!" Yubaba laughed. Chihiro almost laughed herself. Chihiro knew that Yubaba was just saying this nonsense to scare her. She was never turned into anything by the witch.

"Although, I would have preferred her to be a bit less scrawny. She was absolutely delicious to eat, but simply wasn't filling enough." Yubaba eyed Chihiro. "You're scrawny all the same, but don't you dare think that your weight will save you. I'm sure you'd taste fine as well."

Apparently, Chihiro's small form _had _saved her from being eaten the last time, considering she was still alive.

"So now do you still wish to work for me?" Yubaba asked. Chihiro nodded, undeterred. Yubaba frowned; she had hoped for the human to burst out in tears, begging to leave.

"_Why does this stupid girl want to work for me? There's no reason for her to do so_," Yubaba thought. Although, Sen_ did _make her a fortune. She was human, but had nonetheless surprised everyone with how hard she worked. And even though she was the one who let that destructive No Face into the building, she had also been the one to get him out. And without her, Boh would never have gained his new found independence. Maybe something could come out of _this _brat as well.

Yubaba grabbed a paper and pencil from her desk, and levitated it towards Chihiro. "Write your name on there."

Chihiro caught the materials and wrote the name "Aiko." When she finished, Yubaba levitated the paper back to her desk. She held her palm over the paper, and the "ko" of the name merged into the palm of her hand. "From now on, your name is 'Ai.' Understand?"

"Yes."

"And understand this: _you're _the stupid human who entered into _my_ business willingly. You are _my _worker, and will work for me until I dismiss you, or," Yubaba's face pulled back to reveal a grim smirk, "you end up dead."

Chihiro shuddered. "Yes."

The giant head of a baby peered out from the next room. "Mama, something smells funny."

"I'm sorry, Boh. Mama is just dealing with a human. She'll be out in a minute," said Yubaba, all traces of her former hostility towards Chihiro gone.

Boh looked at Chihiro. It was evident that he did not recognize her in the least. "Aw, I wish Sen would come back. She was really nice. But this one is really pretty."

Chihiro blushed.

"Okay, okay. Off to bed, my little Boh." Yubaba began leading her son to his room. She looked back at Chihiro. "And you, off to work."

Outside of Yubaba's office stood Lin. The old witch had summoned her to teach the new girl how to do things around here.

All day, Lin had been hearing rumors of a human in the bathhouse. She didn't know whether to believe them or not, but they sure brought back memories of Sen. Lin missed her terribly and wished that she would be able to see her one last time. After all, humans had incredibly short life spans.

The doors opened, and the burning scent of a human stung Lin's nose. Were the rumors true?

A young girl who was almost as tall as Lin stepped out. She stopped dead in her tracks, surprise flashing in her eyes as she noticed Lin standing a few feet away. Lin's own eyes widened.

"You're... you're a..."

"Yes, I'm a human." The girl held out a hand. She had quickly composed herself, masking the surprise behind a straight face. From her brisk words, Lin guessed that the girl had already gotten the same reaction from others all day.

"I'm Ai, and I'll be working with you from now on."

Lin shook the girl's hand, trying not to shudder at the soft, human flesh. "I-I'm Lin."

Lin was practically tearing up at the scent of the human. In the modern human world, all people smelled the same due the sharing of a filthy community. Their typical smell was a strong blend of human products; gasoline, hairspray, leather, etc. Even if Ai had not associated with any of these scents' sources, the scents could have simply attached themselves to her like leeches whenever she was within short range of them. It wasn't necessarily her fault that she smelled disgusting.

In truth, Lin kind of liked the smell. It reminded her of Sen.

But the girl herself was not Sen. She looked too... serious, her features molded into a perfect and permanent poker face. If she hadn't seen the girl's brief, surprised expression, Lin would have thought that the girl had no emotion, period.

For a few seconds, Lin wondered if Ai was hiding anything of great importance. She most likely was, given that she was a human who had appeared in a world her own kind thought to be nonexistent without so much as batting an eyelash.

But that was Ai's problem, and it didn't appear that it was going to be shared anytime soon.

"So, um... Follow me, I guess." Lin lead the way down to the bath girls' room. Ai stayed quiet for the whole time. Lin interpreted her silence as fear. "Don't be afraid. It's not too bad working for Yubaba, even if she's an old grouch. Besides, you're not the first human to work here."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, we had this great girl, Sen. At first, we all thought that she was just another clueless human who carelessly got herself trapped in our world. But even though she was indeed trapped, she made the best of her time here. Sen was a sweet girl, and she was so understanding."

Ai was quiet for a moment. "It sounds like you really miss her."

"It does, doesn't it? Well yes, I miss her. A lot, actually." Lin sighed.

"I missed you, too."

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Lin asked.

Ai shook her head. "No, it must've been your imagination."

**A/N Yes, this is a very short, "to-the-point" chapter. But since Chihiro's actually in the Spirit World, things will be moving more swiftly in the upcoming chapters. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews will make me very happy :)**


	4. Are You

**A/N ****This is the second submit of chapter four since I didn't like it when I first uploaded it. But anyway, so many nice reviews! Thanks everyone! I was actually planning to stop writing the story, but everyone's inspiring words told me otherwise. It's nice to know that I am actually writing for somebody. So here's chapter four...**

Chihiro had already accepted the fact that nobody knew who she was, but it still stung when even Lin fell into that category. If Chihiro had expected anybody to recognize her, Lin would be the one; Chihiro had spent most of her time with Lin the first time she worked here.

"Too short," Lin muttered as she held up another pink work uniform to Chihiro's torso. "The uniforms had been too long on Sen..."

Lin had been talking about Sen nonstop since admitting that she missed her. Chihiro's curiosity got the better of her. "Does everyone else hate Sen?"

"What? Of course not! Why do you ask?"

"Yubaba told me that she almost destroyed the bathhouse by letting in an evil spirit."

"Well that wasn't her fault. That No Face would've caused problems no matter where he went." Lin grabbed another uniform. "Besides, Sen proved to us that she was strong. Sure, our views of her in the beginning had been doubtful. But she won all of our hearts - even Yubaba's, though she won't admit it."

Chihiro had thought that everyone had hated her. She was a little happy to hear that they felt just the opposite about her, but still decided to keep her identity a secret. There was still the possibility that Yubaba would not let her keep the job.

Lin handed Chihiro a uniform. "Here, this should work. Just put it on over the clothes you're wearing now."

Chihiro did as she told and changed into her work clothes. She looked up to find Lin staring at her.

"What is it?"

Lin released a sheepish grin. "Sorry, it's just that if I had never met Sen, I would probably be a lot meaner to you now."

Chihiro remembered that Lin had been very strict when they first met. It had seemed that Lin wanted nothing to do with her, or _any _human for that matter. But after Haku - under the control of Yubaba - had practically threatened Chihiro by telling the workers that they could kill her if she did not perform the job efficiently, Lin had taken a liking to the girl. She became aware of Chihiro's bravery.

"I see..."

"Don't take it the wrong way, Ai. It's just that-"

"You hated humans but realized that some of them were different after meeting Sen."

Lin blinked. "Actually, yes."

"I appreciate the help that you've been giving me," Chihiro said. "But I'm nothing like this sweet and gentle Sen that you speak of."

Lin flinched at the sudden bite in the girl's tone, but processed her words. Lin had already known that Ai could never replace Sen. She had still hoped that in some way, this human would make her feel closer to her friend.

But simply talking to Ai seemed to add distance between Lin and Sen. When she had become friends with Sen, Lin had been proven wrong that not all humans were tainted by evil like she had previously thought. Yet Ai's personality was edging closer to the "evil human" rumor rather than the gentle nature Sen had exemplified. The contrast between the two human girls in Lin's life was immense.

Still, Lin reminded herself that it was too early to judge Ai and quickly jump to conclusions that she was a bitter, stereotypical human being. But one thing was clear: Ai was definitely nothing like the sweet and gentle Sen Lin spoke of.

"Yeah, I know." Lin sighed. "Now let's get you to work."

Chihiro's first duty was to clean the rows of tubs that were on the first floor. The other employees were afraid of her, so she worked by herself. Lin would have stayed with her, but was called to do her own tasks.

There were ten tubs in all that were spread unevenly throughout the vacant room. Chihiro grabbed a moist sponge, and hopped into the first one.

The bath was coated in a grease-like substance, and she immediately began scrubbing at it. She was reminded of the grimy river spirit that she had tended to in the big bath. At that time, everyone had watched her free the spirit of his mucky prison. That had been Chihiro's first big accomplishment since arriving to the bathhouse, and everyone learned of her persistence. But nobody was watching her now, so her character remained a mystery to them.

As she scrubbed, Chihiro wondered when her parents would be brought back. She figured that she would have to work at least the same number of days that she had the first time. But she didn't know _exactly _how long she had been in the Spirit World. When her family had been finally released, their car was covered in dust. Plus, the movers had claimed that the family didn't show up at their new home for about two weeks.

So fourteen days was how long Chihiro expected to work for.

If she had some extra time, maybe she would visit Zeniba. After all, she had been the one to get Chihiro to return. And Chihiro had many questions that surrounded her hair tie.

The heavy pounding of footsteps came from down the hall. Chihiro peered over the tub just as Boh walked in. Chihiro was surprised to see that Boh was allowed to leave his room.

Boh didn't say anything as he watched Chihiro scrub. The silence became uncomfortable.

"Hi, Boh. Can I help you with anything?" Chihiro asked.

"No, I'm okay," Boh said as he took another step into the room. "But can I watch you?"

Watch her? "S-sure." Chihiro climbed out of the now slime-free tub and into the next.

There was only a beat of silence. "What's your name?" Boh asked her.

"Ai."

"Ai... What a cool name!"

"Thank you."

"Say Ai, do you know somebody named Sen?"

Chihiro gulped. It was hard to pretend to be somebody that she wasn't. "Sen... Nope, I've never heard of her."

Boh's face fell. "Oh..."

Chihiro felt bad. "Was she a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, she was the first friend I ever made!" Boh's expression lit up. "At first I didn't like her much because she didn't want to play with me. But then she took me on the greatest journey ever! We went to go see my Aunt Zeniba; I didn't even know that she existed!"

"Sounds like quite the experience."

"It was, but Sen had to leave when we came back home. She hasn't been back in a very long time. So that's why I asked if you knew her, since you both come from the same world."

Chihiro didn't want to make any promises, but felt terrible for lying to Boh. "If I ever meet Sen, I'll tell her that her good friend Boh misses her."

Boh looked satisfied with that. "You will? Thanks, Ai!" He turned for the door. "It was nice meeting you. You're just as kind as Sen!"

Chihiro sighed. How long would she have to put up with the guilt that was eating at her heart and mind?

She continued to wash all the baths. Every now and then, a worker would stick their head into the room to watch the human. Chihiro was making great progress, and she was already on the seventh bath when she heard commotion from the lobby. She put her sponge down and went to go see what was happening.

A female spirit stood in the lobby face to face with Rei, one of the bath girls. The female spirit could have passed as a bath girl herself; her slightly elongated facial features fit in with the other workers. The only thing that separated her from them was the alluring blue kimono that she wore rather than a pink uniform.

"Saki, stop pretending that you don't know me." Rei's voice was low but was hindered by a slight tremor. "We're best friends."

"My name isn't 'Saki,' it's '_Mi_saki.' And I don't have any friends."

"Can we just stop with the jokes?" Rei continued. "This isn't funny anymore."

"I fully agree with you. Your foolish antics are causing nobody to laugh, and you are only making yourself look ridiculous," Misaki said, indifferent.

"I know that you haven't worked here in a while, but can you at least acknowledge the friendship we used to share?"

"_'Friendship'?" _Misaki spat the word like she was swearing. "With a delusional, nonsensical bath-woman such as yourself? I hardly enjoy breathing the same air as you."

Rei flinched, appearing on the close verge of tears. "Saki..."

"It's _Misaki!"_

"What's going on here?" The assistant manager had heard all of the commotion from the other side of the room and had come to investigate.

Misaki pointed an accusing finger at Rei. "One of your workers is trying to make a fool out of me."

"How so?"

"Somehow, she was convinced that she knew who I was upon my arrival. When I calmly told her that she was mistaken, she ruthlessly persisted with her misconception. She changed my name, and even dragged me down to her lowly level by suggesting that I even worked here!"

The assistant manager turned his attention to Rei. Honestly, he didn't care about the situation, but he sure needed to pretend that he did. The customer's attire suggested that she was rather wealthy, and upsetting her would run the risk of him not getting paid. "Rei, you have greatly insulted one of our valued customers. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Rei shot him a look of sheer disbelief. "But-"

"Rei...!"

Rei sighed, defeated. "I'm sorry, Sa – Misaki. I was just confused."

"Of course you were," said Misaki. "If this is how you treat your customers, then I will be taking my leave." Misaki swiftly turned on the soles of her feet and strode out the door.

The assistant manager stared after Misaki, horrified that he had just lost a customer.

Rei's expression was torn between confusion and sorrow, and she wordlessly walked up the stairs to the second floor. The crowd that had watched the two girls gradually departed and resumed activity. The assistant manager's shock wore off, and he immediately ran after Rei to thoroughly scold her about the behavior she had just exemplified.

Chihiro had been momentarily swept by interest in what had just happened, but didn't give it much thought. Rei had simply mistaken somebody for her friend.

Chihiro continued to finish her work, but was interrupted by yet another commotion from the lobby.

It wasn't too great of a clamor; a few workers were greeting their "master" home. The master appeared to be no older than Chihiro, but he was taller. He had gray-green hair that fell just above his shoulders. The color of his eyes matched his hair, but they were far more stunning. Though he wore a flowing white shirt, the distinct lines of hard muscle could be seen.

It was Haku.

He seemed to be the only spirit that had physically changed.

Chihiro's thoughts of him had been mutual, just like every other spirit she thought of. But why did seeing him now make her heart beat so fast?

"That's Haku." Lin had somehow appeared beside Chihiro without her noticing. "He's sort of like Yubaba's henchman."

Henchman? Didn't Chihiro free him from the clutches of Yubaba? What was he still doing here?

"Even so, he's the only one who's actually free from Yubaba's contract," Lin continued.

"Then why is he..."

"Nobody knows for sure why Haku still works here, but it's probably because he has nowhere else to go. He is a river spirit, but his river is long gone."

So even though he was freed, Haku still worked for Yubaba? It didn't seem right. He could have just remained in the Spirit World without working for the old witch.

Lin caught Chihiro staring at him. "Don't tell me that you're into him."

Chihiro reddened. "What? Why would I-"

"I'm just kidding, Ai!" Lin laughed. "Besides, Haku only has the hots for Sen."

_Only has the hots for Sen?_ Chihiro doubted that.

Haku had proved to be helpful to her. He had guided her through her way around this world. He found her a job to prevent her from being punished, and he helped her remember her name before she could forget it completely.

Haku even promised her that they would meet again someday. He didn't necessarily break the promise but he didn't carry it out either, even after nineteen years. Since she had forgotten about the promise up until now, Chihiro would not hold anything against him, even if he had forgotten as well.

Haku was her friend and even her savior, but nothing more.

xxxxx

The "Kohaku River" had been destroyed long ago, and Haku had nowhere else to go. It was true that he could have left the bathhouse and wandered the Spirit World. But in doing so, he would not be able to remember who Chihiro was.

Yubaba had put a spell on all the spirits who worked for her. If they remembered their real names and quit their jobs, their memories of working at the bathhouse would be completely erased. Yubaba cast this spell so that freed spirits who had suffered from exhausting labor would not seek her out for revenge. She did not bother to apply the spell to humans since they were weak and wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway.

Only a few hours after Chihiro's departure did Haku learn from the old witch herself that his memories of working for her would be erased upon quitting.

Haku had met Chihiro for the second time at the bathhouse. During her short stay, she had managed to save him from forgetting his real name forever, being controlled by Yubaba, and even death. The kindness of her actions had caused him to love her. And it wasn't until after she let go of his hand did he realize that he was_ in_ love with her.

So that's why Haku refused to give up his job at the bathhouse; he would forget Chihiro as the girl he was in love with, and would only remember her as the human child whom he once saved from drowning in his river.

Haku wouldn't forget his promise either. Even though it had already been nineteen years, he would definitely see her again. He hadn't gotten around to it, simply because he was weak. He knew that Chihiro had the potential to make any man fall for her, and by now she was most likely married. If he saw her in the arms of another man, Haku would surely die of heartbreak. So he decided to wait until he was strong enough to face such a bitter sight.

"Welcome back, Master Haku." The greeting of the workers whisked Haku back into reality. The bathhouse was in order, just like he had left it. But there was something off...

"Is there a human here?" He asked, breathing in the air. It was definitely the scent of a human. He didn't mind it like the others. To him, it smelled like the crisp outdoors – fresh and floral.

"Yes," came one of the workers. "She just arrived a few hours ago. But you don't have to deal with her, since Yubaba already did so."

"Deal with _her?_" asked Haku. "Is it... could she be-"

"I'm sorry, Master Haku," another worker apologized. "She is not Sen."

"Are you _positive_ about that?" Haku said, one eyebrow raised in a beckoning manner that challenged anybody to refute his statement.

"Well... I guess so..."

"You _guess _so," Haku repeated, emphasizing the uncertainty in the worker's tone.

Haku's behavior was nothing new to the workers. Whenever Sen's name was mentioned, Haku's soft outer shell molded into a hard one. He was sensitive about the whole topic, and everyone could tell that he felt both sad and anxious about her. He never got his hopes up too high that Sen would one day return to the Spirit World.

But today was different. What other human girl would arrive here, not yet turned into a pig, and know to work for Yubaba to remain that way?

The worker shrunk back from Haku's defying figure. "Master Haku, I want Sen to return as much as you do. Believe me, I do. But this new girl is... just not Sen. You can take a look for yourself."

"Very well then," Haku said. He sniffed at the air again, and followed the course of the scent.

The workers glanced uneasily at each other, but thought better of it than to stand in the way of their master. They went back to work.

xxxxx

Lin had finished her shift of massaging the backs of weary gods, and had taken it upon herself to help Ai finished her own job.

Chihiro was cleaning the ninth bath, and Lin the tenth. The two planned to eat lunch in the boiler room when they finished.

"This guy, Kamaji, works there. He sometimes has an attitude, but I'm sure that you two will get along..."

Chihiro's thoughts drowned out Lin's voice. She was depressed to have seen Haku. Every time she pictured his face, her heart was tugged at by unfamiliar aches. She tried her best to ignore them as she got out of the tub.

However, Haku himself had just walked into the room, and Chihiro's pulse skipped a beat. What was the matter with her? It was only Haku. Why did she feel so nervous?

Haku's eyes scanned the room and landed on the human. Was it Chihiro? He couldn't tell; her face was covered by her hair. But the color of her hair was the same as Chihiro's. The girl lifted her head up and Haku could make out her eyes; so dark in brown that they were almost black. Another trait of Chihiro's.

Lin spotted Haku in the doorway. "Oh, Haku. I don't think you've met her yet so this is... What do you think you're doing?"

Haku had begun to walk towards Chihiro without any acknowledgement to Lin. Chihiro panicked; what was he doing? Did he recognize her? What would she do if he did?

Her back was up against the bath when he reached her. "Are you... Chihiro?"

Lin answered for her. "Are you stupid? Her name is 'Ai!'"

Haku ignored Lin. If this girl was not Chihiro, then he wanted to hear her say so herself. She did share some similar physical appearances with Chihiro, but the rest of her features were hidden behind a veil of dark brown locks.

"Are you Chihiro?" he asked again.

She wanted to tell him everything; why she was here, and who she really was. But Yubaba had ears _everywhere_, and she couldn't risk being fired.

All she had to do was lie; say no, she was not Chihiro. She'd lied to everyone else she'd run into, and it shouldn't be difficult to do the same with Haku. But she remained silent.

Haku grabbed her wrist in his hand and held fast when she tried to pull away. With his free hand he brushed the hair from her face.

He had to admit that the girl was beautiful, even if she wasn't Chihiro. Her facial structure was the same as Chihiro's, and she could pass as an older version of her. But she looked too young to be what Chihiro really was. Chihiro would be just on the brink of her thirties, and it was apparent that this girl was only in her early twenties.

And something was wrong with her eyes. Chihiro's had been loving and focused. The ones before him were rich with grief and hopelessness. If this human _was_ Chihiro, then what had happened to her?

Chihiro stood paralyzed in Haku's grip, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"You foolish dragon! Get off of her!" Lin stormed up behind Haku and forced herself between him and Chihiro.

Haku staggered back from Lin's interference, but quickly righted himself. "You're Chihiro, aren't you?"

Chihiro was able to think clearly again, and she turned to Haku. "I'm sorry if you have mistaken me for somebody else. But my name is 'Ai.'" She realized that she was furious; how dare he just touch her like that! Her tone became sour. "Nice to meet you."

Haku had been sure that 'Ai' was actually Chihiro. What kind of game was this?

"Well Haku, what do you have to say for yourself?" Lin placed her hands on her hips. "Are you going to apologize to Ai for traumatizing her on her first day?"

"Open your eyes, Lin. Can't you see that she's-"

"My name isn't 'Chihiro!'" The girl looked like she was about cry.

And Chihiro _was_ indeed about to burst out in tears. Why did Haku have to make this more difficult for her? She had not expected him to know who she was, yet here he stood forcing the truth to be revealed.

Haku could sense the tension in the room and knew that he would not be able to get the girl to admit who she really was.

But what if it was he who was mistaken? "I'm sorry for forcing myself at you. I thought you were somebody else."

"That's more like it." Lin grabbed Chihiro's arm and led her out of the room.

Haku looked after them, figuring that he had been so obsessed with the fantasy of Chihiro actually being here that he had wanted Ai to _be_ her. Maybe Ai didn't look anything like Chihiro, and he had been blinded by his own selfish desires. Besides, why would Chihiro want to return to the bathhouse?

But deep down in his subconsciousness, Haku knew that his love was here once again. He just didn't want to admit that such a broken and forlorn girl could be Chihiro.

**A/N Hoped you enjoyed it! Although, this story is full of deja vu. First, there's Natsumi who starts a new job, and now it's Chihiro. Then its Rei who knows who Saki is, just like Haku knowing who Chihiro is. The dramatic parts of the story are starting to surface, so be prepared. And once again I'd like to thank the kind reviews I received. The next chapters should come out quickly, since the amount of homework for school has decreased with the upcoming summer. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Real Eyes Realize Real Lies

**A/N It's almost become a habit of mine to post a chapter then take it down. I had posted this but decided that I didn't like it, so I now bring you a revised chapter five of "What Was Lost." I hope that this story overall is not confusing to you because sometimes I word things incorrectly. But I hope that you enjoy this chapter and keep on following the story!**

"I'm really sorry about that; he's usually pretty normal. I don't know what got into that stupid dragon..."

Lin and Chihiro were descending down in the elevator to the very first floor. Lin seemed to be more upset with Haku than Chihiro.

"No, it's okay." Chihiro followed Lin out of the elevator. "He mistook me for somebody else."

"That may be true, since every once in a while a worker thinks that a customer is someone they know. But why did Haku have to grab you like that? And who's this 'Chihiro' that he kept calling you? I hope he didn't fall in love with anyone other than Sen..."

Chihiro hoped so too. "_No!_" she silently commanded herself. "_Get a hold of yourself. Don't get your hopes up for something as troublesome as love._"

_Love_ had planted itself inside of her heart and had branched out to her parents. But the immense levels of love that she carried nearly crushed her when the very subjects of her affection were killed. It was _love _that had taken a major toll on her happiness. It's misery grasped full control of her thoughts and actions.

Chihiro refused to give in to such an emotion again. The joy that it would grant would surely find a way to turn against her. And there was not the slightest of possibilities that Haku loved her.

"Kamaji!" Lin greeted as she crawled through the small doorway that was at the end of the floor. Chihiro copied her and slid through the door on her knees, ducking her head low, as the frame was but a few feet in height.

The warm burst of fire tinted the room with an orange glow. Beads of swear began to form above Chihiro's brow with the sudden contrast in temperature. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and focused on her surroundings.

She was definitely in the Boiler Room. Little black creatures that smelled faintly of ash traveled back and forth across the room. They heaved lumps of coal upon their backs, which were thrown into the flame pit. The creatures then disappeared into holes in the wall, only to reemerge with more coal.

The creatures paused at the arrival of guests. Their inhuman eyes were unreadable as they centered in on Chihiro.

Kamaji sat at his post with all six arms busy. He sensed the sudden stop in progress. "Hey, you worthless soot! What do you think you're doing? The water isn't going to heat itself up, so get back to work! Why are you-"

"Didn't you hear us come in?"

"Ah, Lin." Kamaji recognized her voice and turned to visually address her. "How long have..."

Like the soot, Kamaji's eyes were indecipherable behind his small shades as he became aware of Chihiro's presence. His arms that had been in constant motion slowly came to a standstill.

Kamaji had been one of Chihiro's first supporters. He had not shown fear of the human child, and had even claimed her as his granddaughter to increase her chances of earning a job. It was he who had given Chihiro his only set of train tickets when he could have used them as a possible escape to freedom.

Kamaji was one of the many souls that had shaped Chihiro's fate in the Spirit World, yet he now sat frozen before her without a hint of recognition.

Kamaji's bushy mustache quivered, and he regained his composure. "So you're a human." It wasn't a question; just a statement of fact. His arms came to life again and resumed their chores. Kamaji's head remained turned towards the two girls who had sat with uncertainty during the brief silence. The soot followed their master's lead and returned to their jobs.

Lin rose to her feet. "Well of course she's human. And you should have given us a better welcome." Lin tried not to appear uncomfortable in front of Ai. Although Lin knew that Kamaji would be surprised at the sight of another human, she had not expected him to act the way he did. He did nothing but stare at them! What _was_ that? Lin had never seen Kamaji so motionless before.

"But anyway," Lin continued. "This is Ai, and it's her first day here."

Chihiro hoisted herself up and bowed politely to Kamaji. "Nice to meet you."

"It's strange," Kamaji mused out-loud, and Chihiro wondered whether he was speaking to her or himself. "You remind me of someone..."

"Great, another identity crisis," Lin muttered. "Look Kamaji, we already had quite the episode with Haku, and we don't need one from you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Haku thought that Ai was someone else, and he was pretty serious about it. He nearly tackled her to the ground and kept calling her... what was it again? Chi... Chi-"

"The point is that I look like someone I'm not," Chihiro interjected. She did not know if Kamaji knew her real name, and she did not want to find out.

Kamaji didn't know why Sen's face appeared into his mind when he saw Ai. The new girl was plainly not the small child that he had come to be so fond of. But Kamaji knew that Ai reminded him of _someone_ that he had met long ago. He just didn't know who.

"This rusty memory of mine fails to work," Kamaji grumbled. "Anyway, welcome to the bathhouse... Ai."

xxxxx

Haku couldn't understand what was wrong with him, or rather what was wrong with _her. _He had been sure that she was Chihiro. Even though he had come to the conclusion that he was confused, he now completely rethought that as he stared up at the sky. There had not been a single day where Haku had not thought of Chihiro, and he knew that Ai's features unmistakably mirrored those of Chihiro's. But Ai's nature was what complicated Haku's intuition. Chihiro had never demonstrated any form of aggravation, but Ai's tone was rich with it. When Ai had spoken to him, her voice was harsh and unfeeling. The girl Haku thought she was would have concealed such anger. But there was another matter that bothered him-her eyes. Those eyes were void of any feeling, even when her voice had been sharp.

Haku theorized that Chihiro could have come back to the bathhouse under a different name. And maybe her personality had been influenced by a devastating occurring. But his doubts got the best of the proposal; for what reason would she have come back?

The entrance doors creaked open. Haku leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down in time to see Ai walk through them and onto the bridge. She rested her forearms on the railing and topped them with her chin.

Chihiro had not slept so well during the night, for it had been a while since she had slept on the floor shared by thirty other women. She woke up to a stiff back and a terrible migraine, and decided to take a walk before starting the day.

The sound of the train echoed from a distance until the train itself passed by under the bridge. She watched it aimlessly until it became lost in the horizon. The blue sea sparkled into a blinding white with the rising sun, and Chihiro decided that it was time to head back. She unfolded her arms from underneath her head and turned towards the bathhouse. She immediately stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Haku was standing right next to her, and she wondered how long he had been doing so. "That was foolish of me." Haku couldn't confirm the girl's identity, so he would play along with whatever story she claimed.

"It's fine," Chihiro said. Why was he here? He already apologized to her. She just hoped that he actually believed her forgery of a name.

"It's not fine. My actions were inexcusably unjust."

"No, really. It's okay. Rei thought that someone else was her friend, and you just happened to do the same."

Haku noted that the more he blamed himself, the more Ai reassured him. Maybe somewhere below her tough demeanor lied a nicer self... or Chihiro.

"Well, thank you for being understanding."

"Can I ask you something?" Chihiro asked abruptly.

"Ask away."

"Who is this 'Chihiro' to you?" She wanted to know why Haku had been extremely intent on uncovering her secret. It was true that they were friends, but he had gone a little overboard. The way he had spoken and grabbed her made it seem as if he had actually _wanted _Chihiro to be back in the Spirit World.

Or maybe Chihiro just wanted to test the rumor that Haku was in love with her.

Haku had not been expecting such a question. Who was Chihiro to him?

Chihiro was _everything_ to him. But he didn't dare say that. If this girl was indeed Chihiro, then he could not be sure that she felt the same way about him.

"Chihiro is... a friend of mine." Haku thought he saw a trace of disappointment on Ai's face, but she quickly collected herself before he could verify it. "Now, may I ask you a question?"

Chihiro nodded.

"Why are you in the Spirit World?"

Damn it. Chihiro hadn't thought of what she would say if somebody asked her that, even if it was an obvious question.

She winged an answer. "I... I stumbled here by mistake."

Haku caught her falter. "Then why didn't you go back the way you came? I'm sure you could have made it back home by yourself before the doors connecting our two worlds closed off."

"Well... I-"

"And why did you apply for a job here?"

"Because..."

"What are you working for? How did you even know to work here?"

So many questions yet so little answers. Chihiro had enough. "I'm going to be late for my shift." She brushed past him and into the bathhouse.

Haku looked after her, not bothering to apologize for firing question after question. He had enough evidence to prove that this girl was lying about herself, whether she was Chihiro or not.

Chihiro couldn't believe him! Clearly, Haku had lied about believing her lies. In terms of honesty, he was worse than her. And even though he was smart to know she was fake, he had no right to antagonize her. She obviously did not want to tell anyone her real identity or what her purpose was, and Haku failed to see that.

To add to her anger was her guilt. The lies that she kept piling up weighed down her conscience with sinful thoughts. How long would she have to live like that?

"Ai!"

Chihiro turned to see Lin approaching. She grabbed Chihiro's hand and began pulling her towards the lobby.

"Yubaba said that you're to serve the customers today."

"Huh? But I don't know how to!" Another lie. Chihiro knew well how to deal with the spirits on account of her last visit. She just wanted to make her false story more believable to everyone, especially Haku.

"Sorry, its Yubaba's order, not mine." Lin fell for the false panic in Chihiro's eyes. "Don't worry; it's easy! All you have to do is bring them to an open bath and send the bath token of their desire to Kamaji, who in turn provides the water. Oh, and be courteous."

"Alright..."

"By the way," Lin said, and Chihiro could tell by her overly casual tone that she was trying to downplay something big. "You are to deal with Yuki."

"Deal with _what_?"

Lin sighed. "Yuki. The powerful goddess of snowfall. Yubaba knew that Yuki has a scheduled appointment today, and she probably wants to evaluate your work performance on such a high-ranked spirit."

Real dread replaced the fake. Of course Yubaba would want to make sure that she could keep a human as one of her employees. And what other way to make sure that Chihiro was reliable than having her tend to a famous spirit?

"B-but what if I mess something up?" Chihiro asked desperately. "What will happen to me?"

"Don't be like that," Lin said. "The worst that can happen to you _if _you do something wrong will be a confrontation with Yubaba."

"Does 'confrontation' mean that she'll turn me into a pig?"

Lin laughed. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm serious," Chihiro insisted. "And nothing would be able to stop her if she does."

"That's not true," Lin argued. "_I _would be able to save you."

"Why and how would you do that?"

"To answer the first part: because I'm a nice person."

Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"And to answer the second part," Lin continued. "I would tell Haku that you're actually Sen, and he would go running off to Yubaba's office just to throw a fit that would make even _her _shake with fear."

Chihiro froze. Lin hadn't found out the truth, had she?

"Just kidding!" Lin snickered, watching Chihiro's expression. "You didn't think I'd actually do that, did you? I'd deal with the old hag myself before that boy played Prince Charming. Besides, I wouldn't want him all up in your business again just when I had gotten rid of him."

"Y-yeah..." Chihiro forced out a mechanical laugh. Her heartbeat had punched its way up in her throat, and every thump seemed to say _"Guilty, guilty, guilty..."_

Chihiro gulped it down as Lin led her towards a line of customers. They all looked uneasily at the human girl, and struggled to move to the back of the line to avoid from being tended by her.

Only one spirit remained where she was. She was a humanoid god with skin as white as snow, straight black hair, and vibrant red lips that stood out from the colorless features. Covering her eyes was a gray blindfold that had poorly drawn eyes where her real ones would be.

She turned towards Chihiro, not seeming to mind that she was a human. "I am ready for my bath." She held out her arm, fist facing the ground. Chihiro realized that the spirit was giving her something.

"Go on," Lin encouraged.

Chihiro held her own opened palm under the the spirit's hand. The spirit released her fist, and four pieces of gold fell out.

If Chihiro hadn't seen the gold with her own eyes, she would have thought that the spirit was paying her with chips of dry ice. The gold was freezing, and it left a trail of goosebumps rising across Chihiro's arm. The spirit's body temperature was clearly freezing as well; Chihiro could see the warm steam from her own breath puff where it reached the spirit.

"Are you Yuki?" Chihiro inferred from her chilly characteristics that she was undoubtedly Yuki, spirit of snow.

"Yes."

"Okay, then..." Chihiro debated on whether she should help the cold, sightless god find her way.

Yuki could sense Chihiro's debating and held up a hand. "I can find my way on my own."

"Okay."

"Don't screw up," Lin playfully whispered as Chihiro passed her.

Chihiro shot Lin the dirtiest look she could muster.

Chihiro led the spirit to an open bath. Yuki walked beside Chihiro, who tried to keep herself from shivering from the iciness radiating off the spirit's body.

The spirit climbed into the bath, even with her white kimono on. She sat in the middle, legs criss-crossed.

"Um... what kind of bath would you like?" Chihiro asked.

"The 'Fever Bath'."

...Fever Bath?

Chihiro left the room and found the assistant manager behind the stand of bath tokens.

"One 'Fever Bath' please." The assistant manager had denied her of any tokens the last time she asked, so she was surprised to see him hand her one without a fight.

"Thank you." She went back to her customer.

The assistant manager released the hold on his breath. "She's still so intimidating."

The bath token was red with a black flame in the middle. Chihiro hooked it on the cord next to the bath and it shot up into the wall. A minute later, steaming hot water poured down onto the spirit. The water fizzed as it hit Yuki's icy skin, and it poured around her into the bath.

A single water drop no bigger than a dime flew towards Chihiro and landed on her shoulder. Chihiro almost screamed; the water was _hot! _It felt hotter than when her hairband had nearly burned her wrist off! Chihiro gripped her shoulder and bit down on her lip through the smoldering pain. How could anything withstand such heat?

The spirit sat in the tub unresponsively until the water stopped flowing. "Come here, human."

Chihiro did as she was told and reluctantly released the hold on her burning shoulder, hissing as her arm throbbed red against the fresh, unmuffled air. She hesitated when she was just inches away from the spirit; what if she fell in the water? It would surely boil her to a crisp.

"I am still not satisfied," Yuki said. "I had thought that hot water would melt me into my real form..."

"Come again?"

The spirit's fake eyes looked into Chihiro's face. "Lies with bad intentions are what have trapped me into this weak form."

Chihiro didn't have a clue as to what Yuki was talking about, but made no comment to address the confusion. She couldn't afford to upset Yuki, or Yubaba could potentially turn her into a pig, no matter what Lin had said.

"You see," Yuki continued. "I wanted not to rely on vision to judge a person's lie, but to feel the quality of their heart. And that's what this blindfold allows me to do. After all, one's 'real eyes' are found in the heart. I believe that a person's heart can still be pure, even if they lie. I promised myself that not all lies are bad, but I have yet to find one that is good. It seems that most are tainted by evil dishonesty. "

"I'm sorry." What else could Chihiro say? She didn't even catch half the things Yuki said.

"Are you?" Yuki's voice was suddenly dripping with doubt. "I don't feel the sincerity of those words. But what did I expect? You humans are all the same - dumb and heartless. Tell me, what is your name?"

Chihiro was stressed out enough thanks to Haku and Lin, and being called dumb by a poetic snow spirit was just the icing on the cake. She did not hold back on the anger in her voice. Let Yubaba come if she may. "My name," she started menacingly. "is Ai."

Yuki's angry mouth twitched into a shy, half-hopeful smile. "What?"

"My name is Ai. Got a problem with that?"

"You're lying." Yuki's smile grew. "You're lying."

"Ex_cuse_ me?" Chihiro would not deal with this again. She didn't care how many lies she would have to continue to spit through her teeth, as long as it would not get in the way of her quest.

"I don't believe it. Of all the places and its people, the human girl who serves me is the one..."

Yuki suddenly began to shake, and soon her body erupted with uncontrollable spasms. Chihiro leapt back in fear of contact with the hot water and cowered against the nearby wall. Other spirits nearby watched what was happening.

Yuki slowly began to sink into the water. It was when Yuki was no longer visible did Chihiro realize that she hadn't just lowered herself further into the bath, but had actually dissolved into it. The water became calm, and Chihiro took a small step towards the tub. What the bloody hell just happened?

A dark cloud that floated in the water began to solidify, and Yuki slowly rose from the tub. She looked different; her skin that had been so pale was now flushed with a rosy sheen. The drawn eyes of the blindfold were smeared, and the fabric itself peeled off of her face. What it left was a pair of vivid, purple eyes that shone brightly as they gazed at Chihiro.

Her voice was smooth and gentle. "Thank you, 'Ai.'"

"What... was that?" Chihiro asked.

Yuki laughed. "Don't you see? You're 'name' in itself is the lie that I've been searching for; the lie that holds good intention. I can only guess that you lied about your name to save somebody you love. Am I wrong?"

Chihiro averted her eyes. "Yes..."

Yuki sighed contentedly. "Your lies... they fuel me with happiness. I wish I knew your real name, for to you I will be forever grateful. I hope that you will accomplish the motive that has forced your untruthfulness."

Yuki disintegrated into a million white flecks of snow and was carried out the door by the breeze.

Chihiro looked around, thankful that all the other spirits were just out of earshot. She didn't need anybody else to know that her name alone was a lie.

Her first customer experience hadn't exactly gone the way she wanted it to. But at least Yuki left in a mood that would make Yubaba satisfied.

Turning to fetch another customer, Chihiro practically walked right into Haku. The fierce triumph in his eyes told her that he had been standing there the whole time.

**A/N Uh-oh, Haku knows that Chihiro had been lying about her name! Okay, if you don't understand the whole Yuki scene, then feel free to ask and i'll be happy to answer. By the way, "Yuki" means "snow," which makes sense since Yuki is the god of snowfall. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Chapter six is right around the corner, so don't leave me now! Please review!**


	6. Realization

**A/N So I was recently browsing other fanfiction of "Spirited Away," and I came across a work that sounded almost exactly like mine. But this work was published long before mine, and I felt _horrible; _I felt bad for somewhat taking this person's idea. You'll see what I mean if you check it out: it's called "Death Can Bring Us Back" by "OuroborosMoon," but only the first chapter is similar. Please don't get mad at me or feel that I stole this person's idea because I had never come across this story until today. But anyway, the reviews I've received in the last few days have been incredibly supportive! So I thank all of you who gave your kind input; it makes me feel happy! This is chapter six of my story, and I hope you enjoy it.**

"Maybe they _are_ similar after all..."

"What are you saying over there?" Lin asked as she entered the Boiler Room.

"That 'Ai' girl was a lot like Sen." Kamaji rubbed his temples as if a memory had just found its way back into his head.

Lin let out an exhausted laugh. "I already compared the two and they're nothing alike."

"I don't know about that..."

"What's so similar about them?"

"I guess their... presences are the same. You can say that they give off the same aura."

"The same _what?_"

Kamaji sighed. "Even though Chihiro was quiet and Ai is tough, there was always the same but distinctive quality in the atmosphere whenever one or the other was in the room. If Ai were to be standing right next to you, it would just _feel_ like Chihiro was instead. But I still can't put my finger on it exactly."

"I don't see that at all." Lin couldn't follow Kamaji's confusing thought process, but she was glad to know that she wasn't the only one to try to compare Ai with-

"Wait, back it up. Did you just say 'Chihiro?'" Lin asked.

"Yes."

"Care to tell me who Chihiro even is?"

"You don't know?" Kamaji asked, fully turned to her now. "That's Sen's real name."

Lin had thought that 'Sen' was Sen's real name. "Hmm..."

"What's wrong?"

Lin shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that Haku called Ai 'Chihiro' the other day..."

Realization hit them hard.

xxxxx

"Hey, just wait a minute!"

Chihiro weaved through the many bodies of spirits that crowded up the corridors as Haku desperately tried to catch up to her.

"_How could you have been so careless?!_" Chihiro scolded herself. "_He just heard _everything_!_"

The stupid snow spirit had said out-loud what Chihiro had wanted to keep hidden. And out of all people, Haku had to hear it! He had _already _suspected Chihiro of her fake identity!

Chihiro was done for. Haku would eventually reach her to confirm what he had heard, and would then tell Yubaba the human's little secret. The witch would fire Chihiro right on the spot, or even turn her into a pig! Either way, she would never be able to save her parents.

This thought brought her to the verge of tears and she fiercely blinked them back. If she stopped now, her fears would become her reality.

Chihiro pushed through the busy hallway and found herself in a vacant one. She looked back to check for her pursuer. To her relief, he was nowhere to be seen. She leaned against the wall and braced her hands on her knees. She panted heavily as her heart continued to race inside her chest. That boy could really make her work...

She had no time to waste. Haku would soon find her, and she straightened herself to prepare for the next round.

Two hands slammed into the wall on either side of her head. Haku towered over her, leaving no room to escape. He did not at all appear to be fatigued from the chase.

The snow spirit had affirmed Haku's unwavering skepticism. He knew that the girl was lying, and he intended to hear her say so herself. But now that he had caught her, he didn't know what to say. He found himself apprehensive to the possibility of reunification with the love of his life.

'Ai' looked up at him with wide eyes. Her eyes were rimmed with moisture, suggesting that she could cry at any moment. Haku suddenly pitied the girl; he had not meant to frighten her.

But he reminded himself of what needed to be done. "Who are you?"

Chihiro struggled to keep her anxiety from her voice. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm Ai."

"You _know _I heard her."

"W-who?"

"The snow spirit. And if I recall, didn't she say something about you not telling her your real name?"

Chihiro shakily nodded.

"So that brings us to my first question: who are you?"

Chihiro was ready to grovel on her knees and beg Haku to swear himself to secrecy. But she knew pleading wouldn't do any good; it was over for her.

She tried to look at what little brightness there was of the situation. She wouldn't have to lie to the faces of her friends anymore, and even if she were turned into a pig and eaten, her emotional pain would be brought to an end. Besides, she was tired of fabricating the existence of a girl named "Aiko."

_Aiko..._ An idea sparked her mind.

Haku could see new-found confidence surface into the girl's eyes and braced himself for whatever comeback she threw at him.

"You're right," she started. "I did not tell the spirit my real name. But how could I? Yubaba stole it when I started working here, and I don't even remember it. So if you're trying to prove something about me, then don't hold back. I have nothing to hide."

The girl was clever, but Haku had some points up his sleeve as well. "Then why did you run from me?"

She paused for a brief moment, then quickly recovered. "Isn't it obvious? _Anybody _would have run if they were being chased by a dragon!"

"I wasn't even in that form."

"But you could have been!" Chihiro insisted, getting more engaged in the diversion. "It only takes a few seconds for you to completely transform into an enormous, white _beast_ with claws and fangs and horns and-"

"You know," Haku's words were cool and controlled, but the was a twinge of victory amidst them. "I don't believe that I have ever appeared before you in my 'beast' form, yet you are able to describe my features quite accurately. I wonder why that is." He released a brash smirk.

Chihiro's face was drained of color. She had set up her own trap.

Arguing only benefited Haku and worsened her condition. And she was done with his tricks. He was mocking her and she knew it. There was no way that Chihiro could have shaken Haku's confidence.

"_Mother and Father..._" Chihiro mentally prepared herself for the mournful end of her quest. "_I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back._"

But before surrendering herself to the clutches of Yubaba, Chihiro would obtain revenge from the boy who had caught her. Her clenched fist coiled back as she took a step towards Haku. Leaning into her stride, she launched her punch right between his eyes.

Haku smoothly tipped his head to the side, her fist missing his face by a fraction of an inch. The momentum of her failed punch had her flying forward, but Haku grabbed her wrist and steadied her on her feet. He then waited patiently for her to calm down as she struggled to break loose.

"How _dare_ you! You knew it was me the whole time, but you just wanted to torment me, didn't you?!" Chihiro lost the very last ounce of her self-control. Why hold back when it was too late? "It must be fun taking advantage of a human's stupidity; I almost believed you to be the same boy from nineteen years ago! But you're not half the person I thought you were, and you have succeeded in ruining my life. So congratulations, dammit!"

Haku couldn't believe what he was hearing. The love of his life had returned after all, and she was standing not more than a few inches away. "Chihiro..."

"What's wrong? Why merely _whisper _my name when you can scream it to the world? Go ahead! Let everybody know that Chihiro Ogino has returned to her _beloved _job at the _beloved _bathhouse in the arms of _beloved_ Yubaba!"

"Please just relax for a second-"

"Chihiro! _Chihiro!_ Chihiro, Chihiro, Chi-"

Haku pulled her into him, encircling his arms around her lower back. Her face was pressed into his chest and she pushed against him for air.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!" She shoved his shoulder. "Do you hear me, Kohaku?"

Haku felt utter joy upon hearing his real name escape her lips. He sighed with contentment and rested his cheek on top of her head. "I hear you, Chihiro."

"You obviously don't, or you would have gotten off of me! Seriously, are you trying to make fun of me-"

"I'm not trying to offend you in any way."

"Then-"

"And what you said before was highly incorrect. I _did_ have a feeling that 'Ai' was you the whole time, but I would never use this information to torment you. So I'm sorry if you felt vulnerable for any reason at any time. Next, I will agree with you that I may be quite different from nineteen years ago. But just know that you are not perceived as a 'stupid human' to me in any way. And lastly, I won't be the one to say whether I 'ruined' your life or not. But that was and never will be a motive of mine."

"The what do you want?" Chihiro grew wary. Why was Haku saying all of this when he would shortly be handing her over to Yubaba?

"For you to be happy."

"Yeah, well ratting me out isn't exactly making me happy."

"What do you mean?"

"You're Yubaba's henchman, so telling her everything about me is part of your job."

"You're wrong again. I tell Yubaba whatever I want. And if you do not wish for her to know that you're here, then so be it."

Chihiro continued to push away from Haku, and he reluctantly released her. He was still shocked beyond words by her very presence. But why was she here? Why did she lie about herself? How come she appeared to be far younger than the age she really was? Why was she so different?

Haku's mental string of questions were interrupted by one of Chihiro's.

"Why are you helping me?" Her voice had a sharp edge of incredulity. She didn't at all bother hiding her distrust in Haku.

"Because you helped me." He meant it.

"But that was so many years ago..."

"The time between then and now has not withered the memory of your kindness."

"Kindness!" Chihiro scoffed. She turned and began walking back to the lobby. She hoped that she wouldn't be penalized for being sidetracked during work.

Haku matched her pace. "Why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?" Chihiro countered. "You regained possession of your name, so shouldn't you have quit your job?"

Haku couldn't tell her why he was here. He did not know whether she loved him the same way he loved her. But from the looks of it, she didn't. Confessing everything to her right now had the capability to drive her away even further from him.

Besides, it was she who was avoiding the question. "I believe I asked you first."

"So?"

"So I have the right to receive an answer before giving any out."

Chihiro couldn't tell him why she was here. At first, she had feared that he would tell Yubaba. But since Haku claimed that he wasn't going to do that, she just didn't want him to get involved in her situation. He had helped her enough the last time she was here, and she wanted to save her parents all by herself.

Chihiro, overcome by exasperation and a soft sadness, turned to Haku. "Haku. If you mean every single word said, if you're still my friend," she spoke so softly, that Haku had to cock his ear towards her voice. "then you will let me continue what business I have here, no questions asked. My issues as of now have nothing to do with you. And I promise that I will one day be able to explain everything. So for the time being, please honor this promise."

So there was a problem consequential enough for Chihiro to come back to the Spirit World? Haku stressed at the unknown threat. He wanted to help her in every way he could, but she had just told him that it did not include him. How did Chihiro expect Haku to sit on the sidelines and watch while she dealt with something that was most likely dangerous?

"Why can't you tell me?" he asked. "I won't get in your way, so..."

"You won't get in my way, so...?" The look on Chihiro's face was evidence that she would not be swayed from her plan, nor would she let anyone even _try_ to sway her.

Chihiro would be furious if she knew that Haku wanted to intervene in her affairs. One wrong move, and Haku would be chasing her all over the bathhouse again. So he humored her. "I understand, Chihiro. I won't try to pressure you to tell me anything, nor will I intrude in your complications. But I will pray for you to be unharmed during your stay."

Chihiro became more- but not completely- at ease. Haku still couldn't be fully trusted. He could possibly just be saying these things to build her appeasement, only to knock it down with the sharp knife of betrayal. Besides, would a _friend_ chase her all around the building just to be self-assured?

Chihiro wouldn't succumb to his possible lies. But two could play this game. She would continue to hide her still-present unsureness.

"Thank you, Haku." The false trust she said with his name went thankfully undetected, and she continued to walk down the hall.

"_You've lied to me about many other things_," Haku thought as he watched her. "_So it's only fair that I can lie to you about something as well._"

Haku caught up to her, plotting ways to assist his love in her time of need.

**A/N So Haku finally knows that it's Chihiro, and he plans on helping her even though she told him not to. And that concludes Chapter Six! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And please review, even if it's to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I hope you stick around for Chapter Seven! See ya!**


	7. Burden of Secrecy

**A/N Hello again! I hoped you liked the last chapter, since I'll admit that it's not the best. But anyway, I'm sorry that I have not updated in a while. I thought that I would do so quickly, but it was a problem when I didn't know any of the material that was on my final exams. But school is finally over, and hopefully I will be able to update the story faster. I really hope that you like it so far!**

Even though it had only been a few hours since the confrontation with Haku, Chihiro became acutely conscious of her surroundings. She watched for any signs that indicated a spill in her secret. The sincerity of Haku's words did not entirely convince her that he was on her side. She could almost picture Yubaba bursting through the doors shrieking, "How dare you trespass in my business again, Chihiro! Lucky for me that I have my faithful pet dragon-boy to tell me everything!"

But to Chihiro's relief, Haku remained close by. While she was tending to the guests on the first floor, Haku was on the second, watching her from over the railing. Whenever she looked up, Chihiro could be assured that that Haku was still there. She was appeased that she could see if Haku was being true to his word, but she soon found herself annoyed. Haku looked like a god-damned statue. Didn't he have anything better to do than stare at her?

The elevator doors parted in front of Chihiro and Lin emerged from inside.

Lin took a few unsteady steps out, clearly searching for something. Her gaze swept every corner of the floor, but quickly wheeled to Chihiro.

"Oh! Hey, Ai!" Lin's face was rigid and her voice fluttered up an octave upon saying the name. "What a coincidence – I was just looking for you!"

Chihiro waited. "So... did you have anything to tell me?"

"Right, of course! But it's kind of... private. Can you come with me for a sec?" Her tone was urgent.

"I don't know, I think I may still have a customer to deal with..."

Lin strode out of the lobby and into the women's chambers, not seeming to have heard Chihiro. With a sigh and one quick glance at Haku, Chihiro hurried off to follow Lin.

"I'm taking a quick break," Chihiro said as she passed the assistant manager. "Could you find someone else to deal with that?" She jabbed her thumb to the giant octopus waiting in the line for an herbal soak.

"Who do you think you are?" the assistant manager demanded, looking up at her. Upon realizing who it was, he ducked his head, avoiding eye-contact. "I'm terribly sorry. You may take a break for as long as you need."

Chihiro was surprised. He would have never let her ten-year-old self take so much as a breather. "Um, thanks." She hurried after Lin.

Lin stood in the middle of the room, looking expectantly at Chihiro.

"Say Ai, we've already been working together for one full day-"

"That's not long at all-"

"_and," _Lin ignored the comment, "I barely know anything about you."

"Yeah..." Chihiro was confused at what Lin was trying to get at. She had a feeling that the conversation was slowly taking a turn for the worst.

"But what I do know about you is that you're an awesome worker. Usually new people need a whole day of training, yet you knew exactly what to do after only two minutes of instruction!"

"Beginner's luck."

"Probably. But it's almost like..." Lin hesitated, looking slightly ashamed.

"Yes?" Chihiro prompted. The suspense was twisting into an ugly knot in her stomach.

"It's almost as if you've worked here before," Lin continued.

The comprehension came fast, smacking Chihiro in the head. In all likelihood, Lin had found out the truth.

Chihiro shook her head, not wanting to believe it. There was just not the slightest chance that two people could uncover her secret within hours of each other.

"Well, my job in my own world is really similar to the one I have here," Chihiro explained, hoping she sounded convincing enough.

Lin put her hands on her hips. "Really?"

"Really."

The two stared at each other for a moment, silently daring the other to return the fire. But Lin's mouth, suppressed into a puckered line, slowly unraveled into a huge grin with each passing second. It was inevitable that Lin knew who Ai really was.

And it would be impossible to deter Lin from anything but the truth.

Chihiro took a deep breath that shook with suppressed fury. "Who told you?" she asked in a whisper.

"What?"

"_Who told you?_" Chihiro asked again, her voice rising in volume.

"Told me what?"

"That I'm Chihiro!"

Lin started laughing.

"Was it Haku? I'm going to kill him! That lying dragon!"

"Nobody told me, Chihiro." Lin's laughter died down. "We figured it out ourselves."

"_We?_"

"Yup. Kamaji and I took what we knew about you and put two and two together. And you just made me one hundred percent sure that its really you, since you blurted out your name."

Chihiro felt like fainting. First Haku knew, and now Lin and Kamaji knew. Three people carried her secret. How long would it be until that number doubled? Then tripled? Then quadrupled? Then-

Chihiro put her hand to her forehead, stunned.

"You okay?" Lin asked. "Y'know, Sen-"

"Shh!" Chihiro shushed. "Nobody can know I'm here. _Nobody._"

"Why?"

"It's not important."

"Of course it's important! Everyone has always wondered when you would be back, and now you've finally returned!" Lin clapped her hands together.

"Stop that! I don't want to attract any attention!"

"Why? Were you waiting to surprise everybody?" Lin asked.

"No, I was not waiting to surprise _anybody."_

"Well, you definitely surprised me! You look so grown up! I can't wait to tell everyone-"

"Lin!" hissed Chihiro. "I already told you that nobody can know of my existence here. I'll explain everything another time."

"When will 'another time' be? I want to know everything about the new you!"

"Not _now. _Just please accept it now when I say that I can't tell anybody why I've returned. And Lin," Chihiro said, speaking too quickly, trying to will Lin to understand the circumstances. "If you're still on my side, even after all these years, I beg of you, please-"

Lin's arms were suddenly around Chihiro. Lin still couldn't believe that her long-lost friend was back and needed to make sure that she was physically here. After only being able to see Chihiro in her mind, it was overwhelming for Lin to finally be able to touch her. The contact between the two drew tears from Lin's eyes, where they rolled down her face and seeped their way into Chihiro's uniform.

"Of course I'll keep your secret, dummy!" Lin's heavy sobs grew into a light laughter, only to return to sobs again. "I've missed you so much, Sen!"

The tension melted away and Chihiro hugged back. Lin had only found out the truth by coincidence, and her tears that continued to seep through Chihiro's uniform defended the truth behind Lin's words.

And it felt so good to lift off some of the burden of secrecy.

xxxxx

"I would have never guessed that it was you," Lin said. "You definitely had me fooled! You were completely out-of-character. Are you an actress?"

"No..."

The two girls were perched on the balcony with their legs dangling over the edge. It was the same balcony where they had sat together so long ago, and it still beheld a wide view of the sea.

"So? Were you as surprised to see me as I was to see you?"

"Yes," said Chihiro. "You look exactly the same as last time."

"And you look nothing like your younger self."

"Is that a compliment?"

Lin replied with a "Yes," though the grown Chihiro had a somber brokenness that the younger Chihiro did not have. If Chihiro's different appearance had not been the key component to deterring Lin of the girl's true identity, then her personality would have done the job. The traits Chihiro used to possess no longer made up her personality. Boldness had replaced shyness, seriousness had replaced kindness. What kind of hell had the girl been through within such a short span of time?

Lin shook her head, unable to so much as think of a situation that had molded her friend into a completely different person.

"What is it?" Chihiro asked, noticing Lin's distress.

"It's nothing, Ai – Sen – Chihiro... What do you want me to call you?"

"Whatever you want."

Lin's reply came quick. "I'll call you 'Sen', since I've known you as that the longest."

In truth, Chihiro was relieved to be able to confide in she needed in the world was a fellow female companion whom she could confide her thoughts to. And when it came between Haku and Lin, Chihiro would turn to Lin if she were to have any problems. Unlike Haku, Lin didn't give Chihiro any weird feelings in her heart.

Chihiro gazed across the ocean, focusing in on the town that appeared miles and miles away, sitting on the water. In the daylight, the town was nothing more than a light, brown blur that rested along the blue horizon. She remembered Lin saying that she would one day get to that town and leave the bathhouse for good. Yet in the nineteen years since Chihiro had last been here, it seemed that Lin was no closer to attaining her goal. Chihiro wondered what was holding her back.

"So Sen." Lin deviously wiggled her eyebrows. "What do you think of Haku?"

Lin had unknowingly told Chihiro of Haku's attraction towards her; Chihiro didn't believe any of it. What was there to like about her? Back then, Chihiro had been an awkward, gangly child. And she only grew up to be scary and unfeeling. In the human world, everybody always told her how beautiful she was; they were probably only throwing the compliments to boost what little self-confidence she had.

And she knew that Haku would not be won over by looks. Besides, a mighty River Spirit couldn't possibly fall for a weak human.

"I think that he's going to tell everyone who I really am."

"What? Why would you think that?" Lin asked.

"Because he's second-in-command around here. Wouldn't it make sense for him to rid me - a human - of the Spirit World so that the peace in the bathhouse can be restored?"

A sudden gust of wind blew at he dry air, temporarily relieving them from the heat.

"I don't know what kind of nonsense you're sputtering out," Lin said, stroking her hair back into place. "But I already told you that Haku loves you. And that reason is enough for him to help you."

"Haku doesn't love me."

"Oh yes the hell Haku loves you. Did you know that Haku went missing right after you left nineteen years ago?"

"Missing?" Haku went missing at one point in time?

"Maybe 'missing' isn't the right word. He just wasn't around for a week or so, and nobody knew where he went. It turns out that he had simply trudged up into his room, where he sulked all by himself. You're departure really took a toll on him. Wouldn't you call that love?"

"No." Haku probably had his own problems to deal with that didn't involve her.

Lin sighed. "You've become really stubborn. Why do you have doubts about this?"

"Well... it would never work anyway."

"_Anything _can work with you. After all, you were the first human to ever work here in the bathhouse. You even freed yourself from Yubaba's contract." Lin reassuringly patted Chihiro on the back. "Falling in love with a dragon is nothing compared to the things you've conquered."

"I haven't _conquered _anything."

"Of course you have! You managed to help that poor river spirit who was completely covered in grime, remember?"

"That was only because you helped me," Chihiro said.

"True," Lin agreed. "But how about when you led No-Face out of the bathhouse? You risked your own life to do that!"

"That was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. I hadn't planned to almost get eaten by No-Face."

"Well, nobody helped you when you were choosing which pigs you thought were your parents. You figured out Yubaba's trick all by yourself."

"But I wouldn't call either of those much of an accomplishment."

"Take a compliment!" Lin sighed. "You're a greater person than what you think yourself as. In fact, I think you're really strong to endure all that you've experienced."

Chihiro smiled as she processed what Lin was saying. "Wow, Lin. I didn't know that you were such a flatterer."

Lin smiled back. "Shut up." She playfully pushed Chihiro.

"Never mind about me. Has anything out of the ordinary happened to you lately?" Chihiro casually asked.

"The only thing that's happened was you coming back... oh wait! There was this one snotty Forest Spirit who I had to tend to last year. He thought he was the greatest thing happening with his stupid _leaves _and _flowers_..."

Chihiro was more than happy that her attempt to change the subject was successful because she still couldn't believe that Haku was in love with her. She didn't even want to think about it.

xxxxx

Haku knew that Chihiro didn't believe him when he had said that he would not tell Yubaba who she really was. So for her sake, he stayed near her to prove that he wasn't going to tell anybody. And even if she was not stressed, he probably would have watched her anyway.

Lin stepped out of the elevator, surprised to see Chihiro standing right before her. Their words were indistinguishable, and Lin took her leave.

Haku watched as Chihiro threw one last glance at him – which made his heart race – before following after Lin. On the way, she ran into the unsuspecting assistant manager. She asked him something, and his teeth gritted in disbelief. He turned, looking ready to pounce, and Haku almost went down to stop him if he did. But unwanted recognition surfaced in the A.M.'s eyes when he looked at Chihiro in the face, and his gaze fell to the ground as if he were a child being punished. A brief flash of puzzlement sparked Chihiro's expression, but she continued to walk out of the room.

The A.M. waited until she was gone until shouting, "Somebody better get here to tend to this lovely guest, now!"

He anxiously awaited for Chihiro to return to the floor. But after twenty minutes, he decided to go looking for her. He didn't want to be caught spying on her, however. Chihiro was already skeptical of whether he was a friend or foe.

Haku jumped over the railing, diving towards the floor. He relaxed his mind, letting his body stretch into a long, white coil. His new form swerved into a majestic curve away from the ground, and he headed out the main entrance.

Haku knew that Lin and Chihiro had headed for the women's room, so he planned to sit right outside the balcony where he could hear their voices from inside. But as he rounded the building and towards his destination, he could make out the girls' words more clearer than expected. Haku turned the corner to see them sitting right where he intended to be, and he made a sharp turn downward, landing on the roof below them. His action blew the wind in their direction, and he prayed that they wouldn't question it.

Luckily, they continued to converse.

He cocked his head towards them, listening. "...don't know what kind of nonsense you're sputtering out, but I already told you that Haku loves you. And that reason is enough for him to help you."

Haku's eyes widened with furious disbelief, and he had to remind himself that he could not afford to be seen by them just to release the menacing growl that was forming in his chest just for Lin. What Lin was telling Chihiro was no lie, but it was definitely a secret. Besides, he wanted to tell Chihiro everything himself.

Chihiro's words melted his anger. "Haku doesn't love me."

Why would she think that? He personally thought that his feelings for her were blatantly obvious.

"Oh yes the hell Haku loves you. Did you know that Haku went missing right after you left nineteen years ago?" Lin asked.

"Missing?"

"Maybe 'missing' isn't the right word. He just wasn't around for a week or so, and nobody knew where he went. It turns out that he had simply trudged up into his room, where he sulked all by himself. You're departure really took a toll on him. Wouldn't you call that love?"

Haku's disbelief resurfaced. How many secrets of his did Lin plan to share?

"No," Chihiro answered. Of course she wouldn't call it "love." She'd probably call it a "medical condition."

"You've become really stubborn. Why do you have doubts about this?"

"Well... it would never work anyway."

Hearing Chihiro say those words tore through his heart even though Haku had already known that a relationship with Chihiro would not last. She had to return to the human world sooner or later, and he was bound to the bathhouse forever. But that wouldn't stop him from loving her from the shadows.

"_Anything _can work with you. After all, you were the first human to ever work here in the bathhouse. You even freed yourself from Yubaba's contract. Falling in love with a dragon is nothing compared to the things you've conquered," Lin said.

"I haven't _conquered _anything."

"Of course you have! You managed to help that poor river spirit who was completely covered in grime, remember?" Lin asked.

"That was only because you helped me."

"True." Lin almost sounded cocky. "But how about when you led No-Face out of the bathhouse? You risked your own life to do that!" Haku still shuddered at how Chihiro had done something so reckless while he himself had been nothing but useless at the time.

"That was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. I hadn't planned to almost get eaten by No-Face," Chihiro stated rather nonchalantly.

"Well, nobody helped you when you were choosing which pigs you thought were your parents. You figured out Yubaba's trick all by yourself."

"But I wouldn't call either of those much of an accomplishment."

"Take a compliment! You're a greater person than what you think yourself as. In fact, I think you're really strong to endure all that you've experienced."

"Wow, Lin. I didn't know that you were such a flatterer."

"Shut up."

"Never mind about me. Has anything out of the ordinary happened to you lately?" Chihiro was clearly trying to move the focus of the conversation elsewhere.

But Lin was oblivious to this. "The only thing that's happened was you coming back... oh wait! There was this one snotty Forest Spirit who I had to tend to last year. He thought he was the greatest thing happening..."

Not wanting to hear Lin complain for hours, Haku snuck away as smoothly as he could, flying up to return to his position where he had been watching Chihiro.

Haku still could not confirm as to whether Chihiro felt the way that he did for her. It seemed as if she wanted to avoid the topic altogether. And there were very few – if none – tales of gods and humans forming romantic yet efficient relationships together. He decided that having Chihiro love him back would hurt them both when she left again.

Even though these factors ran through his head, Haku was silently determined to have her love him back. And he would do anything to make this happen.

**A/N Chihiro's really stubborn, isn't she? I kept this chapter short, sweet, and to the point. And I added a few comic reliefs. In case you're wondering why Haku had little influence in this chapter, it was because I wanted to base this around Chihiro and Lin. But I promise that the chapter after this and so on will be more lovey-dovey. I hope that you're not confused at anything because my writing style can get a little weird. I thank you all for the reviews you've sent me. But with that being said, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. Fury Rather Than a Fever

**A/N If you have been following my story since the moment I published it, then you will notice that I sort of combined chapter eight and chapter nine together. In the longest absence from writing, I returned only to read how bad my story is. I didn't want to delete the whole thing, because it would take forever to rewrite it. But I'm tweaking it as much as possible, so I thank you for bearing with me.**

Chihiro found herself sitting at the kitchen table of a small cottage. An unseen fire crackled loudly throughout the small room. An assortment of pastries placed atop fine china sat before Chihiro, and she helped herself to a plain cookie. At the head of the table was an old, plump and familiar woman.

"I have sent you this dream rather abruptly," Zeniba started, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "to warn you of an evil spirit lurking somewhere amidst the bathhouse."

"What?" Chihiro asked, biting into the cookie. Since she was dreaming, she was surprised that the food actually had a distinct, buttery taste.

"An evil spirit," Zeniba repeated. "I can't get a definite reading on what kind of being it is; I only just sensed its presence. But whether the spirit is an employee or a customer, it can be assumed that it hates humans very much so. Its negative energy seems to surround you."

"Is that supposed to be a _bad_ thing?" Chihiro said through her mouth full of cookie.

"Of course it is! You could get killed if this spirit's intentions are as dark as its energy."

"That's a lie. Nothing can hurt me," Chihiro boasted, brushing her fingers along the threads of the hair tie that encircled her left wrist.

"That's where you're wrong, child. The laws of life and death here are far more different than the ones of _your _world. The immortality that you have gained through magic cannot compete with the immortality that spirits have been granted upon birth. In simpler terms: you're in danger."

"Why didn't you tell me this in my first dream?"

"Like I said before, I only just sensed the spirit's presence. Believe me, I would have never have asked you to return if I had known that there was a terrible threat such as this." Zeniba hung her head. "But you _do_ seem a little more lively since your last dream. Maybe it was good for you to come work for my sister again, even if you only did so for such a short time."

"'Such a short time'? I'm going to work for Yubaba for almost another two weeks!"

"I'm sorry, Chihiro. Even though I'm telling you all of this without warning, you have to go back to your home. The power of the evil spirit may be well beyond even _my _knowledge, and I imagine that it's quite clever as well. This is for your own safety."

To Zeniba's surprise, Chihiro threw her head back and began laughing.

"W-what?" the witch asked.

"You're not even here!" Chihiro pointed at Zeniba's startled face and burst out into another fit of laughter.

"Well, of course I'm not here _physically._ I already told you that I've sent you a _dream_. Goodness, are you deaf?"

"I _know_ that this is a dream," Chihiro said, heaving out the last bits of her laughter."But that's my point. This-" she gestured towards the realistic witch in her home, "is not something that a witch can simply put into my sleeping mind. Besides, if I go home, how am I supposed to save my parents?"

"Slow down there! First of all, your dreams _can_ be influenced by my magic; don't belittle me. And what do you mean when you say that you're going to save your parents?"

"You told me yourself - working for Yubaba again will revive my parents."

Zeniba slapped a palm over her face. This girl was hopelessly delirious. "I said no such thing."

"Yes you did! You said to work at the bathhouse again for-"

"A different reason," Zeniba finished Chihiro's sentence. "And as much as you don't want to admit it, bringing your parents back from the dead is not an option."

Chihiro's mind, fuzzy from the dream, refused to believe any of it. This was nothing but her own mind playing tricks on her. The real Zeniba was probably in a deep slumber having dreams of her own.

"Yeah, whatever," Chihiro said, indifferent. "Hey, since you're here, do you mind telling me what _this___is all about?" She held up her left wrist.

"How would _I _know? I'm just a figment of your imagination!" Zeniba sulked.

"Fine, don't tell me. I'll just ask the real Zeniba all of my questions when I get the chance." With that, Chihiro vanished in the blink of an eye from her seat in the cottage.

Zeniba sighed. "How stubborn she's grown..."

xxxxx

Chihiro jolted up from her sleeping mat, realizing that she had been woken up by the cold morning air pooling into the room. The tapping of raindrops pelted the roof above her, threatening to pierce through.

She wiped the back of her hand against her slick forehead. Chihiro had been rather carefree in her dream, but her mind was one with reality again. What if Zeniba had really sent her a message? Was she in danger? Were her mother and father gone forever?

Her head hurt just thinking about it.

Panic seized her from the inside, but another gust of air loosened her figure, and she curled up against the cold.

One by one, the bath-girls were roused back into consciousness with each passing of a new wind. They stood up groggily, stretching their worn out backs from the rigidness of a bed, only to sink back down upon making contact with the icy air.

"Why is it so _cold?_" Lin pulled the covers around her in an attempt to shield herself from the wind. She turned towards Chihiro. "I swear, we need a fireplace or something in here, especially on rainy days like this. Why should Yubaba be able to have three fireplaces in her room when she could simply makea fire on the palm of her hand with magic? Besides, if her own heart won't freeze her up, then nothing will. It just doesn't..."

Chihiro let Lin drone on. She was too tired to pretend to listen, and her ears were ringing due to the sudden migraine that had taken over.

Someone shook her shoulder. Her head rolled back and forth with the shaking, terribly heavy.

"Hey. Se – I mean, Ai. Are you there?" Lin shook Chihiro's limp form again. The ringing in Chihiro's ears only worsened with each movement.

Chihiro forced her eyes open. Her eyes struggled to focus against her spinning vision. Lin was kneeling over her, clutching a blanket around her shoulders. Some of the girls were already beginning to make their way out the door, hands over their heads to provide what little protection they could offer from the rain. Other girls still lingered in the room, either sleeping or watching Lin and Chihiro's exchange with anxious expressions.

"You there?" Lin repeated.

Chihiro stifled back a sneeze as another wave of brisk air nipped at her skin. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"If you're tired, you could take it easy for today."

"No, no." Chihiro pulled herself from the warm comforts of her bed, pushing back the dizziness.

She could not confirm if Zeniba really had sent her a message after all. But superstitions aside, her parents would be saved from Chihiro's hard work, not from her lying around in bed. Even an hour of break could potentially hinder the required amount of time that was necessary to accomplish her goal.

"I'm fine," she assured Lin. Her back creaked as she stretched her arms out. "I just have a small headache."

Somebody sighed theatrically as she left the room. "How bothersome are the workings of a human."

Lin's head flew towards the door, trying to get a visual for the girl who had just spoken. "Yeah? Well it's going to be quite 'bothersome' when my fist lands right into your-"

"Lin!" Chihiro interrupted. "It's okay."

"But-"

"Seriously, it's fine. _I'm _fine. Everyone's entitled to her own opinion." Chihiro was usually not a peacemaker, but getting a major headache at the start of the day was disheartening as it was, and Lin throwing punches wasn't going to help anybody.

Lin grumbled, but followed Chihiro out of the room.

As the girls neared the lobby, Chihiro could make out the silhouettes of three large spirits. With a closer inspection, the quantity turned into five. These spirits towered over everything, and one even hit part of the second floor in the process of slowly inching it's way into the building. The spirits' unshapely bodies were covered in what appeared to be limestone. Three crevices that served as two eyes and a mouth were etched in each of their figures.

"Just great," Lin muttered sarcastically. "Mountain Gods always come here whenever it rains. I'd figure that they would much rather go for a spa day than sit through this disgusting weather. Even though there's only five of them, _one _requires tons of work on our part."

Not just a lot of work, _tons_ of work. Perfect. Chihiro's head felt like it weighed more with just a single step. She could take a pretty good guess at how she would be feeling while scrubbing down an eighty-foot rock.

"We'll probably split up into groups to take care of them. And are you sure you're okay?" Lin noticed the shivering human girl beside her.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just a little cold from all this rain." Chihiro gave a reassuring smile.

"But you're sweating!"

"Am I?" Chihiro swiped her fore and middle fingers across her face in time to catch a bead of sweat that had rolled down from her forehead. "Huh. That's weird."

"Don't say that! You're only backing up that brat's statement," Lin said. "Remember? She was all, 'how bothersome are the workings of a human.' Embrace your ways with open arms!"

Chihiro laughed. "Are you sure that _you're_ alright, Lin? It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"I've been fit as a fiddle for six-hundred and twelve years straight," Lin said, relieved that Chihiro was well enough to laugh. "And yes, it _was_ a big deal! If anybody has any complaints about you and your weak human ways, they'll have to answer to me!"

"Thanks so much."

"Anytime. Now let's do this."

The forms of the Mountain Gods were so great that it was nearly impossible to cramp them into the big baths. Instead, the gods sat on the open floor while the workers washed them by hand. Workers stood nearby on wooden ladders, pouring buckets of hot water onto their rocky exterior while the girls scrubbed at their sides with large sponges.

"Somebody get another ladder over here!" cried one of the girls.

"I got it!" called Chihiro. Her head ached from being arched up to the spirits, and anything that required a break from doing so was greatly accepted.

She excused herself from her sponge duties and proceeded out the door and down the hallway to the supplies closet. Grabbing one of the ladders, another overwhelming migraine took over. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and endured the pain.

The ladder was heavier than what she had expected it to be. Even the small toad servants had carried the equipment without problem! Looking down at the ladder, she realized that her arms were shaking. Not shaking out of the concerns of fear or temperature, but of weakness.

Chihiro was not weak. In her human job, she was the one who people called for if they needed tables lifted or six food trays held at once. But she had only gotten a few moments of rest during the night, and she hadn't even eaten anything yet. So it was easy for her to put off her shivering as something minor.

Chihiro pulled up the ladder and carried it vertically against her right side, supporting it with her shoulder. She trudged back into the lobby.

Haku watched above from the second floor, peering down on the huge spirits. His gaze unhappily shifted to the broken part of the second-story. He would have to get that fixed before Yubaba saw it. He didn't want his employees to be put under fire due to something nobody could have prevented.

He locked in on a tiny form as it walked into the room. He immediately recognized it as Chihiro's. She was leaning slightly to the left, for she carried a ladder against her right side. There was something wrong, however. Her face was flushed yet her lips were white, and she was both shivering and sweating.

"Bring it over here, Ai," called the same girl who had asked for somebody to retrieve it. She was standing at the opposite end of the floor by one of the Mountain Gods.

To Chihiro, the distance seemed like an eternity's length away. She took one step, and then another, willing her feet to drag across the floor. The floor was moving back and forth. Her vision grew blurry around the edges, and she found herself falling to the left. She landed hard on the ground, waiting to feel the weight of the ladder crush her.

But she never felt the impact. Turning her head to look up, she saw that someone had blocked the ladder from landing on her. In the few seconds that her vision refocused, she could see that it was Haku who had saved her.

Still holding the ladder in one hand, Haku scooped up Chihiro in the other.

"I'm sure you can take care of this," he said cooly, handing the ladder to a nearby worker, who simply nodded at his command.

With that, Haku picked up Chihiro and flew to the top floor, leaving many spirits watching them from below.

Lin grinned, watching them rise. "I am never going to let her live that down."

xxxxx

Chihiro's eyes burst open at the touch against her head.

"You're burning up," came a familiar voice beside her. A moist towel was placed over her forehead.

"Haku?"

Sure enough, Haku was sitting beside her while she was laying on a king-sized bed. The room's ornate features matched those of Yubaba's, but the old witch herself was nowhere to be seen. Chihiro guessed that this was probably Haku's own room.

She sat up, letting the towel fall from her skin. She struggled to remember how she had gotten in Haku's bed. All that came to her was the memory of fetching a ladder for the mountain spirits. Was she successful in doing so? Another memory came through. Yes, she was successful. She made it back to the lobby, but had fallen to the floor from her own dizziness. But what happened after that?

Her head was too fuzzy.

"How long have I been out?" she asked Haku.

"Not long enough for your fever to have subsided."

"Fever?" It all made sense now. Why she had a headache, sweaty chills, and weakness was all due to the common illness of a fever.

"Well, thanks for taking care of me, Haku." Chihiro flipped the covers off of her."But I really should be heading back to work."

There was no time to lose. Who knew how long she had been in bed? She needed to focus on her parents, not herself.

"Chihiro, you're not well. You need to rest."

"I feel fine."

"The fact that you just fainted suggests otherwise." Haku gently pushed her back into the pillows. "You'll be able to return to the workplace once you're healthy."

"Can I go rest in my own bed?" Chihiro hoped that in doing so, she could sneak away and get back to work.

"No," he answered curtly.

"Why not?"

"So I can be sure that you won't sneak away and get back to work."

Chihiro gaped at his words. What was wrong with him? Were her thoughts that obvious?

"Why are you so intent on returning to work?" Haku asked.

When Chihiro didn't answer, he took a guess. "Is the reason included in the 'explanation' that you have yet to share?"

Chihiro nodded.

Haku sighed. "Even if I _did_ know what was going on, it would not change your current condition. For the time being, go to sleep."

"But I _need_ to get back to work! I don't care that I'm sick."

"Well, I do. And that's reason enough for me to keep you here. Then, I'm sending you back."

"Then send me back _now,_" Chihiro said. "I'll be able to do my work, I promise."

"No, Chihiro." Haku shook his head. "I mean I'm sending you back home."

Chihiro paled. "What?"

"It's not safe here for you."

"Is this about earlier when I said that I have business to attend here? Didn't you say that you would not come between me and my problems?" The little trust for Haku that Chihiro had built up during the last few hours shattered into a million pieces. He told Chihiro that he supported her, but now he was trying to send her home. She had never met anyone so bipolar.

"This is about your safety and nothing else. Take a good look at yourself. Even though you only have a fever, you could catch something worse in the future. There is nobody here that knows how to treat human illnesses. I'm sending you home before your health is put at a greater risk."

Sending Chihiro home was the best assistance Haku could offer, and there was meaning behind every one of his words. He had been worried about her well-being, and the incident today made his decision to return her to her own world.

Humans were so fragile. It would be nearly inevitable that Chihiro would fall ill again. She could only receive help from her own kind – humans.

There was also the matter that she was involved some sort of "business" here, and it was probable that it dealt with danger of some sort.

Haku would not risk keeping her here. She had a whole human life to live, and he was not about to stand by and watch her waste it.

"And what about your parents?" Haku asked. He misread her stiffened posture as realization. "By now, they must know you're missing, and I'm sure they're worried about you."

Haku's words were like a slap in the face – hard, and still stinging even after they were delivered. He just reminded her of the things that she would never be able to return to. Not unless she stayed.

She held back tears as she spat, "I'm an adult. If my parents don't have a legal obligation to worry about me, then neither do you."

Chihiro ripped the covers back off her, and strode out the door. The pounding in her head was now caused by fury rather than a fever.

**A/N Again, I've changed the chapters/story quite a bit, so I apologize for that. I also apologize that Haku and Chihiro are constantly fighting. Sometimes, it even makes me angry. Please review; it makes me update faster!**


	9. Apologize

**A/N Okay, this is my third attempt of writing this chapter. I haven't made drastic changes, but hopefully I've made enough so that it's better than my first two attempts. I'll probably end up taking it down again, though...**

Chihiro's fever dropped in no time, and two more days passed since the ladder incident. That did not necessarily mean that Haku was on Chihiro's good side, however.

Every time she caught sight of him or merely heard his name, Chihiro would cower and hide. The last person who she would let boss her around was the moody dragon himself. She would not under any circumstances go back home. Giving up now would equate to giving up on her parents.

And who was he to scold her about safety? So what if she had a small fever? He wasn't her father.

Her anger was sometimes overshadowed by dread. Fighting against Haku could give him a good reason to report her to Yubaba. If he didn't send her home due to the concern over her safety, it would be because he was sick of her constant rage.

She didn't regret arguing against him, though. If she hadn't put up a fight, she'd be mopping up restaurant floors right now. The only thing she wished she'd done differently was not all but spat her words at his face, then stumbled angrily out the door. Haku could be blind sometimes, but he deserved better treatment. Even if he had mentioned the topic regarding her parents so nonchalantly.

And that's where a fresh layer of guilt was added to her piling emotions. The majority of Haku's cluelessness came from Chihiro's inability to tell him the truth. He could never have known that her parents were dead, or that she was here simply because of them. His only crime had been trying to understand her.

But she didn't need to be understood, nor had she ever wanted to be. Anger resurfaced. She had already told him that she could take care of herself.

Chihiro's endless cycle of emotions raged on, and she fought to suppress it as she and Lin walked down to the Boiler Room.

Chihiro had not visited Kamaji since her first day, and that was when he still thought that she was Ai. Now that he knew the truth, she was a bit nervous to be confronting him.

"Hey, Kamaji! Look who I brought..." Lin ducked into the Boiler Room, tossing a bento to Kamaji with Chihiro not far behind.

Kamaji looked up from his food, and his face broadened into a grin when he saw who Lin's mystery guest was.

"Sen! It's good to see you! You've grown so much!" Kamaji stretched two of his arms to wrap them around the girl. Chihiro hugged back, relieved that their reunion wasn't as awkward or tense as she had feared it would be. But Kamaji's delight quickly shifted to angry confusion. "Why did you lie to me? I would have kept your secret! Do you not trust me?"

"I'm glad to see you too, Kamaji." Chihiro stopped him from his rambling, disappointed that the seemingly normality of the conversation was already spiraling into a highly uncomfortable atmosphere.

Kamaji continued as if she hadn't spoken. "You're practically my granddaughter! I even figured out that it was you all by myself."

"Hey, slow down there! I believe that me and you found out at the same time, _together_," came Lin. "Don't over-credit yourself."

"What are you talking about? I was the one that actually knew all of Sen's names. To an extent, I found out who Ai was without you."

"Lies!" growled Lin. "Without my oblivion, we never would have uncovered the truth. If anything, I found out who Ai was without _you._"

Chihiro made no effort to come between her friends' argument. She didn't want to go through the process of explaining why she couldn't give a definite answer to any of Kamaji's questions after giving the same speech to Haku and Lin.

Unfortunately, the argument was short-lived, and Kamaji and Lin came to an agreement that Kamaji had 50.27 percent of the credit, and Lin 49.73 percent.

"Now where was I...?" Kamaji furrowed his brow, trying to remember what he had asked Chihiro before Lin had interfered.

"Have you seen Haku lately?" Chihiro blurted before turning a bright shade of red. She had meant to distract Kamaji from continuing his line of questions, but Haku's name mistakingly slipped out before she could stop herself. He had, after all, been the center of her thoughts over the past few days.

"Hmm? Haku? No, I haven't seen him. Why do you ask?"

"Kamaji, isn't it obvious?" Lin piped. "Haku and Chihiro sort of have a thing for each other."

"Lin..." Chihiro hissed. Now she definitely regretted her decision to distract Kamaji. She'd rather answer his questions than discuss Lin's fantasies.

"Ah, yes." Kamaji stroked his mustache. "I had almost forgotten about their forbidden relationship."

"What?" cried Chihiro.

"Well, it's extremely rare for a dragon and a human to be in _any_ form of relationship. But then there's you and Haku, who clearly-"

"I'm nothing but an acquaintance to Haku, as he is to me. There is nothing 'forbidden' about it."

"'Acquaintance'?" Kamaji frowned, dissatisfied.

"That reminds me... Why have you been avoiding Haku for the past few days?" Lin asked Chihiro. "Every time he steps so much as a foot in the same room, you bolt for the nearest exit."

"Um..." What could Chihiro say? If she told them that Haku wanted to send her home, they just might agree with him. They were her friends, and would likely be unnecessarily concerned with her safety. Three people ganging up on her would not end well.

"All couples have fights, Lin," Kamaji said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I guess so," Lin said. "It does explain why they haven't been talking, though."

Chihiro could not believe what she was hearing. Here were Kamaji and Lin reminiscing about her own nonexistent love-life, supposedly shared with a man she wasn't even on speaking terms with.

"There is nothing going on between Haku and I."

"Don't deny it," Kamaji warned Chihiro. "I saw you kiss him with my own eyes."

"What?!" the girls shrilled at the same time.

"Remember when you fed Haku an herbal cake to rid him of Yubaba's curse? You cut the cake into halves with your teeth, and forced the bitten part into his mouth. That was indirect kissing!"

Lin gasped.

"You people are sick," Chihiro hissed. "That could only be interpreted as kissing by you two. Plus, that moment was life-threatening for Haku, and you are trying to twist it into something of 'romantic.' Haku doesn't love me, and I don't love him."

Kamaji frowned. "You say that like it's true."

"Because it _is _true! You people have no proof of anything intimate every existing between Haku and I."

"But Sen," Lin said. "You kissed him! Isn't that proof enough?"

"I. Did. Not. Kiss. Haku!"

Judging from Lin and Kamaji's amused expressions, Chihiro guessed that she wasn't going to convince anybody of her mutual, nonromantic feelings for Haku anytime soon.

"You two are delusional. Maybe you guys caught a hold of my fever."

"Oh!" Lin suddenly remembered something, triggered by Chihiro's words; she couldn't believe that she had forgotten about it! "Are you avoiding Haku because you're embarrassed that he saved you? It's nothing to be ashamed of to be taken care of by somebody else."

"Who saved me? And from what?"

"Eh? You don't remember?" asked Lin.

"I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Well, that's a shame."

"_What_ don't I remember?" Chihiro was getting annoyed. A conversation with Lin could easily turn into a game of Twenty Questions.

"Okay, okay; let's not get feisty."

Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"Let's see..." began Lin. "You went to get a ladder, but fell on your face coming back. Then Haku appeared out of nowhere and caught the ladder before it fell on you. It wasn't that big of a deal; the ladder weighs practically nothing, but it was nice of him to do that. Anyway, he picked you up like a princess, then flew up, up, and away." Lin was getting more animated, morphing the incident into a fairytale.

"Haku did that?" What Lin was saying made sense. Chihiro had, after all, woken up in Haku's room without a clue as to how she got there.

More guilt arose, constricting around her like boas – gripping tighter and tighter around her until she fell prey to its strength. Since she arrived, she had only fought against him. It was true that he opposed of her stay, but not once had she ever thanked him for the concern he showed for her. It was partially her fault that he was trying to send her home – she had kept her intentions hidden from the start. Even if she told him that she didn't need any help, he still went as far as protecting her and nursing her back to health.

"I can't believe you don't remember something like that," Lin continued, watching as Chihiro put a hand over her mouth. "If some lover-boy were to ever scoop me up like that, I would be completely overjoyed."

Kamaji nodded. "See? This comes to show that there is definitely love existent between Haku and Sen."

Chihiro moved her hand from her mouth to her eyes. "I'm a horrible person."

"Oh, lighten up, Sen!" Lin playfully punched Chihiro on the arm. "We're just teasing! Don't beat yourself up about lying to us, _again._"

Chihiro's arm dropped. "'Again'?"

"Well, yeah, since you lied to us a few days ago about your downright name. And you just said that you didn't love Haku, which is also a lie." Lin's smile was tight and controlled, as if she was afraid that the moment her demeanor slipped, whatever emotion she was trying to hide would be revealed.

However, Chihiro could see right through her friend's smile, and what she saw was anger.

"But I don't love him." Chihiro sighed. "And I wasn't upset about lying to you guys, but thanks for reminding me."

Lin grinned for real. "Oh, sorry."

"Then what is it that's bothering you?" Kamaji asked, raising his eyebrows.

Chihiro sighed again. She would tell the truth since it clearly upset Lin that she had already lied to them. "I constantly push away the person who only tries to help me. And when he succeeds in doing so, I'm never thankful enough, let alone at all. My nagging to be left alone has probably driven him away, and I've never been able to apologize."

"What suicide note did you recite that from?" Lin joked.

Chihiro winced. Although Lin's tone was light, it brought back dark memories that Chihiro so desperately tried to bury within the farthest depths of her mind; she hadn't even written a single suicide note for her multiple attempts at dying.

How much guilt could Chihiro bear? Haku and Lin both unknowingly brought up something terrible about her past, yet she only got angry with Haku.

Chihiro's silence went unnoticed, and Lin grabbed the girl's hand. "We should start heading back. Most spirits tend to come during midday."

"Yeah."

Lin looked back and waved at the old man. "We'll be seeing you, Kamaji."

Chihiro did the same. "It was nice being able to talk to you as me."

Kamaji chuckled. "Come back soon. And Chihiro?"

Chihiro turned her head as Lin lead the way out the door.

"I know you'll sort things out with Haku."

xxxxx

Lin and Chihiro exited the elevator hand in hand. Lin was promising Chihiro that she would treat her to dinner later while Chihiro insisted that such a thing wasn't necessary. The group of bath-girls waiting for their turn on the elevator brushed past them. One girl stopped and looked back longingly at the leaving pair.

"What's wrong, Rei?"

Rei shook her head, then boarded the elevator. "Nothing. Those two just remind me of how Saki and I used to be." The elevator doors closed.

"It's fine!" Lin said. "I just got a well-deserved raise, and what other way to celebrate is there than to spend it all with my best friend?"

"You _could_ save the money and eat for free here."

"That's no fun!" Lin playfully pushed Chihiro. "This is a really good restaurant that we're talking about."

"Then go by yourself. I don't want you to spend money on me."

"You're worried about me spending money on you?"

Chihiro shrugged.

Since the conversation between Lin, Kamaji, and herself, Chihiro was fragile about small things that could potentially burden her with more guilt. How could she owe Lin for being a good friend – aside from her constant pestering about love – when it was Lin who wanted to treat her?

"And you'd make me go eat dinner by _myself_?" Lin continued, mockingly horrified.

"Yes."

"Aw, come on! Why won't you go with me?" Lin whined.

"I have plans." It was a lame excuse on Chihiro's part. Her only plans for the rest of the night consisted of finding someplace out of visible range so that she may sulk in peace.

Chihiro winced; though trivial as it was, she was lying to Lin yet again.

Lin could easily see through her friend's lie – it was almost laughable. The only things Chihiro had done since her arrival were eat, sleep, and work.

But now, Lin had reason to guilt Chihiro into coming to dinner.

Yet from her peripheral vision did Lin see something worth being sidetracked by, and a wicked glint shone in her eye. "I think I can take a pretty good guess at what your plan is."

"You can?" Chihiro asked, wary.

"Of course. It's walking towards us right now."

Chihiro jerked her head to her left in time to watch as Haku neared them.

His face was wiped of all emotion, but his eyes held ulterior motive as they locked on Chihiro.

He clearly had a lot to say to her, as she did to him. But she wasn't ready to thank him. She wasn't ready to apologize. She wasn't ready to be told that she was going home without any objection.

She wasn't even ready to look at him.

Chihiro panicked, whipping her head around to find an exit.

Lin was right – many spirits had arrived during the middle of the day, and the place was packed. Every entrance she looked to had a long line of spirits and workers stretching from it. It would be impossible to shove her way into another room.

"Sen?" Lin asked as Chihiro sprinted back the way they had just come.

It was a miracle that the elevator doors were in the process of opening, and Chihiro cut the line of spirits just about to enter.

"Hey!" one protested. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Humans are so rude!" came another.

Chihiro ignored the comments, rapidly hitting the "Close" button.

The doors finally came together, and Chihiro – alone in the elevator – exhaled a sigh of relief.

Her satisfaction of narrowly avoiding Haku ruled out the disgrace she felt for leaving Lin so abruptly. Maybe she would end up eating out with Lin as an apology.

The elevator brought Chihiro to the third floor. She stepped out, but almost fainted at what she saw.

Haku was standing against the wall directly to the right of the elevator doors, arms crossed over his chest. If she hadn't just seen him on the first floor, she would have guessed that he had been waiting there for a long time.

She turned for the elevator, but the doors had already closed. She was alone with Haku. She bit her lip, not knowing what to make of the current situation.

Did the silence feel as awkward for Haku as it did for Chihiro?

Unexpectedly, he spoke first. "Hey."

Chihiro stiffened at his voice, hating herself for missing it after only two days.

She hesitated, unsure of whether to contribute a greeting of her own.

He gazed at her, half-amused by her distress.

So he enjoyed her suffering? She switched to offensive tactics. "How in the bloody world did you get here so quickly?"

The corners of his lips pulled up ever so slightly. "I can fly."

Of course. What a stupid question. She moved on to another. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You didn't think that I'd chase you all over the place again, did you?" His answer had a trace of humor in it.

"In case it wasn't clear the first time, I don't _want _you to chase me."

"And I don't want to chase you," he replied calmly. "But we both can't ignore the fact that we need to talk things out."

Childishly, Chihiro turned away. He was right. Even if he ended up dragging her back to her own world, she at least owed him her gratitude for all the things he had done for her.

Speaking kinder words to him would be an ideal start.

"Um, Lin told me what happened the other day," Chihiro began, "about how you stopped a ladder from toppling over me."

Haku laughed at the sudden shift in her mood. She was just so unpredictable. "You really were ill that day. I wondered if you would remember that."

She blushed, embarrassed. "Well, I just wanted to thank you for that. And how you kept my being here a secret from Yubaba..."

Chihiro didn't know whether Haku had told Yubaba of her presence yet, but she would still thank him all the same. After all, he had kept her secret for three days – far more than what Chihiro had expected of him.

"Don't thank me," Haku said. "I want to help you in any way I can."

She stared at the ground, unsure of how to respond. Part of her wanted to continue her angry rambling at how he failed to leave her alone. The other part wanted her to grovel on her knees before him, saying how sorry she was for being so cruel.

Haku continued before she could make a decision. "Now, let me tell you something. The other day, when I said that you had to go back home-"

"_No," _Chihiro thought, afraid of the words she had yet to hear. _"Don't make me leave. I _can't_ leave. My parents are depending on me."_

"I realized that I was wrong," he finished.

Chihiro stared at him, uncomprehending.

"I don't have a legal obligation over your safety, and I overreacted to your fever. I just forget sometimes that you're not the little girl you used to be. I won't pretend that I'm not concerned over you, but I won't force you into something you don't want. You're capable of making your own decisions, and I'm sorry for suggesting otherwise. I hope that it's not too late to earn your forgiveness after everything I've done."

Haku was apologizing? To her, who had so much more to apologize for?

"Why are you always apologizing?" Her voice shook. "Frankly, it makes me very, very angry."

"I'm always apologizing because I always make mistakes." He shrugged. "Like right now. I'm sorry that I'm making you angry-"

"Stop that,'" Chihiro interrupted him in a whisper. "I mean it, Haku. There's nothing for you to apologize for."

She had gotten angry at him yet again when he was only trying to make things right. She had had enough of his benevolence. He should be arguing with her, still trying to send her back to a living hell rather than speaking the words of a miracle. And she should be fighting back, shouting insults in his face rather than standing silently, feeling like a monster within.

Her guilt grabbed her like an angry hand and squeezed as hard as it could. She couldn't breathe. She didn't deserve to.

It looked like she would have to go back to her decision of grovelling on her knees.

It was her turn to make things right.

"I'm sorry, Haku."

The tremors rolling down her body became much too noticeable.

"Chihiro?"

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Chihiro, what are you-"

"I'm sorry!" she screamed, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry for lying to you! I'm sorry for being so mean! I'm sorry that I'm so stubborn! I'm sorry that I still have secrets, and that I can't reveal them to you! I'm sorry that you're apologizing to me for something that's my fault! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Haku..."

Haku stared in shock at Chihiro, who was now crumpled on her knees on the floor. Did she really think she was at fault for anything? She had lied to him, but shouldn't apologize for doing so – it was understandable that she didn't want to share her personal matters with anybody. Even if she _was _mean, she shouldn't have to apologize. And Haku loved how stubborn she was; apologizing for _that_ was just ridiculous.

"Chihiro."

She didn't even move.

He tried again. "Chihiro?"

Nothing.

He assumed that she could hear him regardless of her unresponsive status. "Why are you apologizing for such petty things?"

She flinched. So her apology was nothing but petty to him? She should have known that she was beyond the point of forgiveness.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, not caring that it was a futile effort to reach him. "I'm sorry for everything."

Leaning down, he tucked part of her hair behind her ear to be sure that she could hear him, and repeated her earlier words. "I mean it, Chihiro. There is nothing for you to apologize for."

xxxxx

Yubaba had not been all that surprised when Haku refused to quit his job at the bathhouse. In doing so, all his memories of Sen would leave no trace of ever existing.

When Yubaba had begun to turn on the lights of her bathhouse nineteen years ago, her mind had grown fuzzy and her actions were slowed, thus giving more time for the human girl to escape back to her own world. Yet the girl only made it to the water when Yubaba broke off from such magic. She later recognized the magic as that of Haku's, who had attempted to distract her by forming a spell that was blown her way to temporarily make her forget what she was doing. When she analyzed his actions later that same night, she came to the conclusion that Haku had done so to prevent Sen from being imprisoned in the Spirit World. She had let it go, deciding that he probably just didn't want to deal with a filthy human child.

But Haku had helped Sen yet another time. He had even stood up against Yubaba, practically mocking her for her lack of knowing where her son really was. She had no idea what had influenced the dragon's rebellion. But upon his demand for the human adults to be returned to Sen in the exchange for Boh's safe and sound return, the answer was evident. Even though he himself didn't realize it at first, Haku had fallen in love with Sen.

Why he loved a human, Yubaba didn't know. But in truth, Yubaba felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for the couple. Sen was destined to succumb to the hands of Death eventually. And Haku, like every other spirit, was to live forever.

Yubaba had actually tried to remove her spell of amnesia that applied to every one of her workers. She wouldn't take it down forever, but just long enough for Haku to quit and get out. Yubaba admitted that it was not fair for Sen to be counting her breaths while Haku was forced to remain in the bathhouse to keep his love for her alive. Yubaba figured that she would allow the duo to spend what little time left Sen had of living together.

The spell, however, could not be undone. No matter how much Yubaba tried to disperse it, its ambience still remained in the air. She read new books, bought exotic potions, and even received council from other sorcerers, but her own spell seemed to be permanent. She never told anyone of this effort, and decided that it was alright if she had to live forever with the subtle feeling of remorse.

Yubaba was not her soft, foolish older sister. She had perfected the mean, bitter exterior of a personality that hid her true feelings over a span of two million years. She was respected, admired, and feared, and she would not lose this status by someone discovering her failed attempt at kindness.

As of now, Yubaba was moving all of her focus on the other human girl that was currently residing at the bathhouse. Yubaba was surprised that the human was doing exceedingly well with work. She wondered if Ai would even surpass the skills of Sen. Ai had already dealt with numerous gods, one which included the famous snow-spirit of Yuki. But Yubaba later found out from the assistant manager that Ai had caught an illness the other day, but was tended to by Haku. Normally, Yubaba would not have allowed her workers to be excused by any forms of distress, but the only thing that would disgust customers more than a human would be a _sick_ human. So she let both Ai and Haku off the hook.

Yubaba swiveled her chair around to face the large window of her room. Boh had begun to visit Zeniba twice a week ever since his first trip with Sen. Yubaba had not been thrilled with her son's visits to that dump of a home, but fully allowed him to do so. Besides, if anything ever happened to him, she would have a legitimate reason to fight her sister and try to steal back the golden seal.

The golden seal was one of the most rare relics found in the Spirit World. It held immense power that could be used for anything that the user desired. It was a wish granted straight from God himself. Yet Zeniba chose not to have the ultimate power that it had to offer. She must have thought that she was so innocent by not wanting to tip the balance of power. What a joke. If Yubaba could just get her hands on the seal, she'd use its invincible power for herself without a second thought.

Signs of movement below in the window caught Yubaba's attention. After a quick glance, she did a double-take and pressed her nose up against the window to be certain that her eyes were not deceiving her.

Ai and Haku were walking hand in hand across the bridge. Although both were smiling, Ai was wiping her eyes with the back of her wrist as if she had just been crying. And the way Haku was looking at her was similar to the way he had looked at Sen – tender and soft.

Did Haku fall in love with every single human girl that he met?

Yubaba no longer felt sorrow for him and Sen anymore.

**A/N Again, I'm probably going to take this chapter down, edit it, then repost it. If you see any mistakes or feel that a scene was too rushed, let me know. Anyway, Chihiro's moody in this chapter, isn't she? And I hope I didn't overuse the words "guilt" and "sorry." But by the way, thank you for your very kind reviews. Every single one means a lot to me. Please review!**


	10. Bet

**A/N Sorry I took a while to update – I had midterms last week. And I'm warning you in advance that I probably won't update for at least a month after this chapter. Regardless, please continue to read and review. I promise I won't abandon this story.**

"You'll have to tell me everything when you get back!" Lin insisted with a mouth full of food.

Chihiro sighed. "I'm not even sure I'm going."

The two girls were at a simple restaurant that existed without a name. A handful of spirits shared the area with them, more distracted by Lin's dining manners than by the presence of a human.

Lin was unashamedly scarfing down an assortment of meats, the savory juices dripping down her chin and onto her clothes. Chihiro picked tentatively at her own dish. If the food was as good as Lin made it out to be, then surely she would turn to a pig if she ate it.

"Why wouldn't you go?" Lin asked.

"I have work."

After they had made up, Haku asked Chihiro if she wanted to visit the remnants of his river. If she went, her steady progress of saving her parents would slow significantly. Besides, she doubted that Haku was only okay with the fact that his reason for coming into existence was gone forever. She herself was fairly miserable, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to see someone else feeling the same way.

Even so, she could not bring herself to completely turn down Haku's offer. She'd told him that she would think about it.

"That's all you ever do!" Lin slammed her fist down on the table, bringing more attention upon herself. "When was the last time you left the bathhouse?"

"Right now."

"Don't make me laugh. I had to nearly drag you here. You need to relax and have some fun for once!"

"I find work fun," Chihiro lied, though her throbbing back and shoulders countered her words.

"See? That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. There's no possible way that anybody can have even one ounce of fun working for that bitter, old witch. There must be something wrong with you."

Chihiro flinched. Yes, there were many things wrong with her. She couldn't even age.

"You have to go!" Lin continued. "All couples need to have a first date, and this can be yours and Haku's!"

"Not that again," Chihiro snapped. "Haku and I are just friends. I'm not going if doing so means more of your taunting."

Lin groaned. "You're impossible! I keep telling you that Haku's in love with you, yet you still doubt him!"

"Haku's never shown any display of affection more than friendship towards me. There's nothing to doubt about him."

"Because you're not looking into it enough."

Chihiro sighed frustratingly. "I've had enough of this."

A look of surprise flashed across Lin's face before slowly molding into that of understanding.

Chihiro gazed back warily.

"Sen..." Lin hesitated.

"Just say what you need to say, Lin."

"But I'm afraid of the answer." Lin waited for Chihiro to respond. When she didn't, Lin continued. "Is there somebody else?"

"What gibberish are you getting at this time?"

"Is there somebody else... that you love?"

How on earth did Lin arrive to a conclusion such as that? And why would Lin be afraid of the answer? It had nothing to do with her. Chihiro wanted to open her mouth and let loose the torrent of angry words that were surely spawning from her disbelief, yet her mind failed to piece anything coherent together. Lin was not stupid, but she had been acting so rather often.

"Lin – you – what -," Chihiro choked out.

Lin took Chihiro's strangled words and vibrant red blush as a confirmation. "It's alright. I should have known that you loved another man. It's only normal for you to fall in love with somebody of your own kind. But you're the one who will have to tell Haku. I'm not good with angsty dragons."

"Enough!" Chihiro shrieked, managing to attract the remaining eyes of the restaurant's population that weren't already looking their way. "I. Don't. Love. _Anybody!_ Not Haku, and definitely not some human man. The way you can talk so nonchalantly about a relationship between Haku and I that is not and will never be a romance is so embarrassing! You have constantly tested my patience with your absurdities, and now you've finally reached the limit! Every conversation we have together results in my anger but never yours. You can stop your quest for love in my life because you won't find anything!"

Perhaps Lin should have been offended by Chihiro's short and angry rant that held Lin in high accusation. She had never known that Chihiro was capable of such an outburst, nor had she known that what had seemed like harmless teasing was practically draining the human of her sanity.

Lin was silent for a moment, chewing her food, contemplating her thoughts.

"I'm sorry for that just now, Lin."

Lin held up a silencing hand, still chewing. "Hush."

Chihiro sounded so sure of herself that Lin almost pitied her blindness. She would show Chihiro just how wrong she was and maybe be rewarded for doing so. In the end, everyone – Chihiro, Haku, and herself - would be happy, and Lin would be the one to thank.

Lin swallowed. "Okay, let's make a bet."

Chihiro looked up, her face reddened in shame for having screamed at her best friend. "What?"

"Let's make a bet," Lin repeated.

"No bets."

"Just hear me out. You go on Haku's little adventure and have some fun while I cover your shift."

"Lin, I can't-"

"If Haku kisses you by the end of the day, you have to pay me a week's worth of your salary."

Chihiro's face turned a shade darker as Lin's conditions registered in her head. She couldn't have cared less about paying up, but the thought of Haku kissing her felt strange. Almost unnatural.

She cleared her throat before answering. "What's with you and my relationship with Haku? You're starting to scare me, Lin."

"It's not that I'm so interested in your complicated romance. I just need more money, and this is the perfect opportunity to get some, since I know I'm going to win."

"Is that so?" Chihiro asked, irritated.

"Mm-hm."

"And what will I get if it turns out that mine and Haku's _friendship _is not exactly the _birds and the bees_ that you've mistakingly viewed it as?"

Lin thought for a moment. Chihiro simply didn't seem like the type to play along if only money was involved. Lin would have to pick an appealing enough reward that even her thick-skinned friend couldn't help but gamble a little. In this case, it would have to affect Chihiro emotionally.

"I'll stop teasing you about Haku, seeing that it bothers you so much."

It was the perfect prize for Chihiro. The mere thought of being freed from Lin's embarrassing assumptions was enough to substantially improve Chihiro's mood. She would be able to get her work done with a fully coherent mind, as would she be able to talk to Haku without fear of a watching Lin, waiting to make yet another romance story out of a casual conversation.

Then there was the matter that she was in the Spirit World for her parents, not for a day trip. She was already taking a risk by eating out at the restaurant.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll have to decline," Chihiro told Lin.

Lin's eyes widened disbelievingly. "Why?"

"I already said that I have to work."

"And I already said that I would cover your shift."

Chihiro shook her head, refusing to be deterred from her final decision. "No."

"Why are you so intent on working? I'm just dying to know considering that's the only thing you ever do."

Was telling Lin _everything_ worth the price of putting a stop once and for all to her goading questions? The price to be free of the bonds of her secrets? The price to finally be understood by people who loved her?

No, it most certainly wasn't worth it.

"I... I'm trying to work the same number of days as the first time I was here." It wasn't a lie, but it failed to satisfy both Lin and herself. It clearly highlighted the lack of information that was still kept as secrets.

"Look, I'm not going to question you further, since you did say that you couldn't tell me all the details." Lin shrugged. "But I still think that you should go on the trip with Haku."

"Thanks, Lin. But I am telling the truth when I say that I'm trying to work the same number of days."

"How many days was that?"

"Fourteen. So maybe after twelve more days I'll be able to have a solid social life."

"Just because you lived here for fourteen days doesn't mean that you worked here for fourteen days." Lin snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Lin bit into her steak, "that you had a good amount of free time."

"Free time...?"

Chihiro hadn't given _free time _much thought when calculating the amount of time needed to work. But Lin had a point - Chihiro had stayed in the Spirit World for fourteen days, but that didn't necessarily mean that she had worked for that long. Compared to the hours she was working now, her ten-year-old self seemed like a slacker. She had always been around Lin, Kamaji, or Haku, and the No-Face episode shed off a good duration from her work schedule. Her whole-day trip to Zeniba's took more than enough time to grant her a few hours off in the present

She soon found herself being consoled of her agitation.

"Lin, you're... absolutely right," Chihiro mused.

"When am I not?"

"When I win the bet." Chihiro leaned back, already confident in a victory. She would go on the trip. There was no way that Haku was going to kiss her.

Lin grinned at the sudden competitiveness in her friend's demeanor. "You might as well pay up now."

"Not a chance."

The two reached across the table to shake hands. The bet was officially on.

"And Lin?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry for yelling at you. That was very uncalled for on my part."

Lin rolled her eyes. It was so typical for Chihiro to apologize for something that wasn't her fault.

xxxxx

"I don't know..." Chihiro said. "It's been a long time since I've done this..."

The girl stood beside a white dragon on the bridge. Her feet were planted on the ground, eyes staring intently at the dragon's back. It had been nineteen years since she had last flown with him, and he had grown significantly since. Though slender as he was, Haku's massive body took up the whole bridge. Surely a light-weight such as Chihiro would go unnoticed if she fell off.

Haku swiveled his head back to look at her. His eyes seemed to ask, "Are you coming or what?"

"Maybe we should do this a different day."

Haku growled softly in response.

"Besides," Chihiro continued, "it's pretty busy today. Even though Lin's working for me, I think I really should stay..."

Haku continued to stare at her.

Chihiro's cowardice was overwhelming, but she wouldn't dare show Haku how afraid she was. He had seen enough of her weakness. She would have to turn him down casually, no matter how much she wanted to go. She didn't even care that doing so would forfeit her chance of winning the bet.

"Yes, I have to stay. I just can't afford to miss work. I'm sorry for all but abandoning you now, but I really do appreciate the offer."

She turned rather abruptly on her heels and strode back towards the bathhouse, trying to convince herself that she was doing the safe thing – the _right_ thing to do. It wouldn't help anybody if she died from a dragon crash.

Haku exhaled deeply, a sigh. It was plainly evident that she was only afraid of the ride. Furthermore, he doubted he would let her leave him, even if she _was_ telling the truth of not wanting to go.

The end of the dragon's tail swished at the air, creating a large gust if wind that effectively knocked Chihiro from her feet. Before she could land or put her surprised thoughts together, Haku had caught her on the back of his neck. She instinctively grabbed a hold of the two horns on his head and held on tightly, her knuckles turning white.

After making sure the girl was secure, Haku effortlessly glided up in the air. Chihiro blanched as she watched the bathhouse become nothing more than a red speck underneath them. They drove straight through the clouds, surrounded by the vast deepness of the blue sky.

She pulled herself up closer to his head.

"Haku!" she complained in his ear.

Haku pulled his mouth back, revealing a grin.

Chihiro tucked her face in his thick blue-green mane, refusing to look at the open space below. But she could still hear the rush of wind crashing through her ears like ocean waves, and still feel the sun provide her with what little warmth that could salvage her from the high-altitude air.

After a few minutes of Haku's sure and steady way of flying, Chihiro opened one eye. Then the other. Chihiro might have mistaken the endless ocean beneath them as more sky had the sun not reflected diamonds across its surface. The height no longer intimidated her now that the surface of the earth was visible again. Every few miles, a small patch of green island would provide a relieving contrast from all the blue.

She was actually starting to enjoy the flight.

"Look!" Chihiro pointed down to one of the islands.

Rested on the island appeared to be a great, red teapot, its size comparable to a skyscraper. Chihiro could see every detail, from its defined curves and intricate patterns, even from her place on the back of a dragon. Billowing out of the teapot was thick, puffy white steam. It curled up the sky like reaching fingers, forming into irregular shapes upon finding refuge with the passing wind.

"Is it making clouds?" Chihiro asked in awe.

Haku nodded.

"Huh. There was more to evaporation than I initially thought." And more to the Spirit World as well.

Haku grinned again.

Sometime during the flight, the water intermingled with the land, and green began to dominate the surface below. Ever so slightly, Haku's direction shifted a fraction of an inch downward. Chihiro sensed the change, knowing that they were slowly approaching their destination. Her grip on his horns tightened, and she pressed herself closer into his mane.

Unbeknown to the other, the dragon and human were thrilled by the other's company. This would be the first time that they would spend some time together out of the bathhouse, where they could only speak to each other in subdued whispers and guarded eyes.

The unlikely duo sped to the ground, eager for what could potentially become of the trip.

**A/N Yes, it's a short update after a long time. Yes, it's a very boring chapter. Yes, it's a poor ending. The next chapter will be more appealing. Maybe I'll revise this, but I'll probably be too lazy to do so. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Remember

**A/N Finally back! Sorry for the long wait. Before you read, I'm warning you that I typed this up at two in the morning. My exhaustion will probably show in my writing. Nonetheless, please enjoy!**

"So..." Chihiro began, pacing out into the vast land mass. "Where's the river?"

Haku, still in the form of a dragon, looked down at the ground under Chihiro's feet.

"What?" she asked, following his gaze. All she saw was the brownish dirt substance with the consistency of sand that she stood upon. This particular terrain snaked down the full length of the land it inhabited, ultimately winding off into the ocean. The dirt was awkwardly positioned; it almost served as an interruption from the rest of the land, suddenly tapering off from the green grass to its muddy hue.

Chihiro looked back up at Haku with a smirk in the process of stretching out. Just what was he trying to tell her?

She stopped smiling immediately. He was clearly past any form of a joke, eyes dark and serious. He stared at her in somewhat disbelief, as if she was missing a fact that was blatantly obvious.

"Oh," Chihiro whispered, realizing. The dirt _was_ Haku's river. Or rather, what was left of it.

She knelt down, feeling ashamed for having almost laughed at the river. What had she expected? The same river that had been too busy to mind her when she had fallen in as a child? She had already known that it no longer existed. She had no right to joke about it.

Still kneeling down, she scooped up a small handful of dirt, only to let it run through her fingers back to the earth in a brief dust cloud.

"Not as impressive as you thought it would be, right?" Haku was suddenly standing over Chihiro. Despite the hard stare he had shot at her before, he seemed to be in in a fairly good mood.

"What?" Chihiro gasped, having been so lost in thought that she had not seen Haku phase back and walk to where she sat.

"My river," Haku clarified.

"No, no. It's still quite a... a sight to behold," Chihiro lied. She had thought that his river was all but a pile of dirt.

Haku laughed at her attempt to brighten his river's outlook. "Liar." He sat down beside her.

Chihiro gazed at him, confused. "Are you sad, Haku?"

He turned his head towards her. "Hm?"

"Your river... does it make you sad? Since it's gone?"

"Why do you want to know?" he asked gently.

"I just want to know. Please."

He pursed his lips, searching for an answer. He had not expected such a question.

"I can not truly recall what I felt the moment my river died because Yubaba had a hold of my mind by then. But I'll admit that I did feel... lost. I thought somebody who I couldn't remember had passed away. I tried desperately to remember my past, what was important to me, but nothing more than the feeling of loss ever came to me. Eventually, I stopped trying to remember.

"Then you came along. Your very presence sparked the ghost of a memory. I remembered your face and your name, but remembered nothing of how we met or where. You brought back the hope of someday remembering my life outside the bathhouse.

"And then you said my name. My real name. Kohaku. The spell sealing my memories broke off, and I remembered everything."

Chihiro was quiet for a moment. "But were you sad when you realized your river was gone?"

Haku shook his head. "No. I remembered my name, and I remembered you. I didn't need anything else."

Chihiro fought the urge to roll her eyes. Surely he was just being melodramatic.

"Besides," Haku continued. "With my river gone, I found a new reason to live."

"Which was...?"

"_You, Chihiro," _Haku thought.

Instead, Haku just smiled at her.

Sensing that he ceased to talk, Chihiro fell back into thought.

Haku rarely hesitated whenever she asked him questions, whereas she had told him from the start not to question her about anything. He had graciously respected her wish, for which she was thankful for. But Chihiro's ever-present guilt screamed at her to share something, _anything _with him.

It wouldn't hurt to tell him at least one thing about herself. Besides, it wasn't like she had to announce every detail of her dark past. If the conversation ever left her comfort zone, she would only have to stop talking.

"Okay, Haku," Chihiro said. "Ask me a question."

"What?"

"I'm allowing you to ask me something. But just this one time."

"What brought this on?" he asked.

"I hope that's not your question, because I won't answer it."

Haku sighed, running a hand through his hair. He finally had the opportunity to get to know her better, but he knew that asking the wrong question would only push her away from him.

"How old are you?" It seemed a harmless enough question to ask.

But Chihiro stiffened, and he found himself backtracking.

"Was that too much? I'm sorry, Chihiro. I didn't -"

"I'm twenty-nine."

She actually answered him.

It was an expected answer, as he had kept track of her age throughout the years.

He went a step further, remarking, "You don't look twenty-nine."

"Well..." She paused, thinking of how to respond.

She would not have opened her mouth in the least if Haku had asked her about her age a few days ago.

Today was different.

She now knew that Haku could be trusted. And after the stinging bitterness she had exerted towards him during the first of her days, she would do everything in her power to atone for such behavior.

"Do you remember this?" Chihiro asked, holding up her left wrist and showing him the hair tie.

Haku nodded. "You had it in your hair after we left Zeniba's house. Did she give it to you?"

"She actually made it for me. I don't know what kind of voodoo magic she put in it, but it seemed to, well, stop me from aging." Chihiro shrugged. "So physically, I'm only twenty-two."

Well, that certainly explained why she appeared younger than what she really was. But Haku was surprised at Chihiro's normalcy of it all. To a human, surely a phenomenon such as freezing one's aging process must be baffling. Yet Chihiro spoke of the whole situation with no more enthusiasm than if she were discussing the weather.

Underneath the shock, Haku was slightly elated. The woman he loved could live forever. He could spend an eternity trying to win her heart.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" he asked.

"Depends on what it is."

"Why have you come back to the bathhouse? Please don't take offense. I just found it hard to believe that you worked so hard to leave when you were younger only to willingly return years later."

Chihiro's face darkened. She should have known that he would have asked about her return when given the chance. It was the most obvious question.

"You don't have to answer," Haku said softly, noting the girl's appearance. "I won't push you to talk if the topic is uncomfortable."

"No." Chihiro shook her head. "I can answer that. Besides, I promised that eventually, I would tell you everything anyway."

Haku waited for her to continue.

"I've returned because my parents are... in trouble."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"Unless I work for Yubaba again, they'll sort of... be in grave danger." It wasn't a complete lie. Though they were already dead, Chihiro was working so they wouldn't stay that way.

A menacing glare overtook Haku's expression. "Does Yubaba have anything to do with this? I swear that if this is her doing -"

"No, no! Yubaba doesn't even know I'm here, remember? I only need to earn her magic to help my parents."

"What exactly is happening to your parents, Chihiro?" Haku asked. "If your family is being threatened, then -"

Chihiro cut Haku off again. "My parents are fine." Hopefully. "Our situation is not something that can't be fixed." Hopefully.

"But..."

"Seriously. It's fine. And in about another week and a half, everything will be great." Hopefully.

Chihiro was not going to give away any more information regarding her return or her parents. That much was evident to Haku. He could opt to press her with more questions, but doing so would most likely result in a slap to the face. His face.

Still, he was glad that she had been willing to share some parts of her secrets with him.

"Chihiro, I will respect your decision not to tell me all the details," Haku said. "But if it's not too much to ask, the least you can do is come to me for help when it is needed."

"Um." It took a moment for Chihiro to clear her head at the intensity in Haku's gaze. "Okay."

Did he really think that the _least _Chihiro could do for him was to cry to him? That was not even remotely a favor. The least she could do for him was to apologize for her secrets, actions, and behavior, then to offer herself as his personal servant that would work for him for an eternity.

"You're too soft," she grumbled. "Now, it's my turn to ask you something. How did you end up working for Yubaba in the first place?"

Haku hesitated before answering. "I sensed that my river was slowly ceasing to exist, and I became weak with its disappearance. I flew to the Spirit World in hope of salvation, eager to be taught new ways of survival." Haku sighed. "I actually collapsed near the bathhouse, and Yubaba took me in."

"_Yubaba?"_ Chihiro asked, finding it difficult to picture the old witch doing anything out of kindness.

"She wasn't exactly delighted by my arrival, but she needed a new henchman. She took the opportunity of my decrepit form to imprison my mind."

"That's horrible," Chihiro whispered.

Haku shrugged. "But in return, I was given the strength to live. After all, it wouldn't have done her any good to own a dying henchman."

"But you have both your strength and your memories back. Why do you still work for her?"

Haku hesitated again. He never wanted Chihiro to know that he only remained working at the bathhouse so that he would not forget about her. There was no telling what she would do if she knew.

But he would just have to find out.

"Yubaba put her whole bathhouse under a spell," he began. "If one were to quit, be fired, or remember his true name, the spell would erase all his memories he ever had while working for Yubaba."

"Why?"

"Despite her hard demeanor, Yubaba is all too afraid of past workers returning, driven by revenge on her for having been put through such strenuous, gruesome labor."

"People get that angry at their boss?" Chihiro asked.

"With Yubaba as a boss, you can't blame them."

"But why didn't I lose my memories when I quit?"

"The spell does not apply to humans."

"Well, it should. Yubaba really underestimates me. How could she have known that I wouldn't come back in a vengeance?"

Haku laughed.

"But you never answered my original question," Chihiro said. "Why do you still work for Yubaba?"

"I believe that I did answer you. If I left, all the memories I ever made while working at the bathhouse would be erased."

"So what?" Chihiro asked.

"Excuse me?"

"So what if you lost your memories? Were there any that were particularly important?"

Haku looked at her incredulously. "Of course there were. I came to know you as the girl I had met long ago, and as my precious friend who saved my life and freed my mind. I'd say those are memories worth keeping."

Chihiro blushed. "I'm not as important as you make me out to be." Before Haku could argue, Chihiro added, "But I would be a little sad if you forgot about me."

Haku smiled, glad that she wasn't completely appalled by his reason for staying in the Spirit World.

"Whoa." Chihiro pointed at the sky. "How long have we been here?"

The sun was just about to set, pulling the blue of the sky with it. Slowly, subdued oranges and pinks melted from the sun, spilling out over the horizon. The moon faintly appeared, waiting for its chance to take its nightly position as head of the sky.

"We haven't been at the river for too long," Haku said. "Most of the trip was spent in the air."

"Is that so...?" Chihiro mused. She watched the sun go down, an awed smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Haku stared at the girl, completely absorbed by her beauty. The sun illuminated her face in a soft glow, making her dark eyes contrast beautifully with the brightness. She blinked slowly, her long eyelashes flapping lovelier than the wings of a butterfly. And her lips, still smiling, were absolutely perfect – so lush, pink, and full...

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss this beautiful creature that he did not deserve. He wanted to kiss every part of her, reassuring her that everything would be alright. He wanted to kiss her forever, making sure that his feelings for her were well conveyed.

He began to lean towards her, watching her face intently for any sign of objection. She still gazed at the sun's slow descent, seeming unaware of the dragon's approach. His face was only a few inches away from hers when she noticed the sudden closeness of their bodies.

She felt the warmth of his body, felt his intakes of breath. Through her peripheral vision could she see him staring at her, yet she could not pinpoint the exact subject of what had caught his attention. She froze, blushing, unsure of how to respond to his movements. She was too much of a coward to turn completely towards him; she was afraid that his gaze would be locked on her lips, but more afraid that it wouldn't be.

There was no way that she wanted Haku to kiss her – she explained that much to Lin perfectly clear. Even so, why did her heart pulse achingly against her chest, unsure of whether it rejected or wanted Haku's advance?

How her own feelings confused her so!

She flinched when Haku's face was practically touching hers, her thoughts and feelings of it all still very undecided. Yet she immediately felt remorse when the dragon pulled away.

Haku, sensing the girl's anxiety, immediately ceased in his approach. Of course, he should have remembered that Chihiro was a rather independent individual now, not wanting nor needing anybody else's help. After all, how long had it been before she finally even shared her age with him? He should not have taken advantage of the fact that she was weaker and human while there was nobody else around. He loved her too much.

He loved her too damned much.

xxxx

"No! I don't understand! It's not fair!" Lin sobbed, tears running down her face.

"Stop crying, Lin. I _told _you that Haku wouldn't kiss me." Chihiro walked over to where Lin was crying in the corner of the Boiler Room.

Kamaji was not present at the moment, leaving Lin to sob as hard as she pleased. One by one, the soot emerged from their burrows, drawn by the sound of Lin's cries. They stared at the girls, confused and frightened by the tears.

"It doesn't make any sense! I know he loves you! I _know _it! So why -"

"Hey!" Chihiro interrupted. "I won the bet, so you have to abide by the rule that you can no longer tease me about Haku."

"It doesn't make any sense," Lin repeated. "Why the hell didn't he kiss you? You didn't eat anything gross before you left, did you?"

"What? No!"

"And you watched a sunset together! A _sunset!" _Lin wailed. "He had the perfect chance to move in for the attack, but failed to do so! What the hell went wrong?"

"That just proves my theory: Haku does not love me," Chihiro said, smug. Though something of disappointment stirred deep within the pit of her stomach. Had she actually wanted Haku to kiss her?

"Do you know how many greasy spirit backs I had to wash for you?" Lin asked. "Well, I lost count after eighteen. It was awful!"

"You willingly volunteered to cover my shift, remember?"

"That's only because I was confident that I was going to win the bet!" Lin cried.

Chihiro sighed.

Lin was completely and utterly astonished. She could not comprehend the fact that she indeed lost the bet; Haku's thoughts of kissing Chihiro were so loud that it gave her a headache. Something during the trip must have gone wrong.

Lin doubted that Chihiro herself could have done anything to push the dragon away. The girl could murder somebody, and Haku's feelings for her would not waver in the least. Simply put, the girl was just too loveable, and would not evade Haku's feelings on purpose.

So that meant that Haku had probably done something stupid.

He _was _a powerful river spirit. Perhaps he overestimated his power, thinking himself as a noble, almighty being compared to the human girl.

That, or he was just a coward.

"You know what I think?" Lin asked.

"No, and I don't want to -"

"I think that Haku, with his goody two-shoes attitude, just didn't want to take advantage of kissing a weak, little girl while she was by herself."

"That has to be the most nonsensical thing that's come out of your mouth."

"But it makes sense!"

"No, it doesn't. Even if I didn't want Haku to kiss me, I'm strong and independent enough to fend for myself." Chihiro crossed her arms.

Through a tear-stricken face, Lin actually smiled.

"What now?" Chihiro asked.

"So you wanted Haku to kiss you." It was not a question.

"What? No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did." Lin wiped at her eyes with the back of her wrist. "You just said 'even if I_ didn't _want Haku to kiss me.'"

Chihiro blushed, realizing her falter. No words could form in her head to reassure both Lin and herself that she didn't want Haku to kiss her.

Had she really wanted to be kissed by him? The thought of him doing so was not all that repulsive. Strangely enough, she found herself imagining his mouth on hers, perfectly in bliss...

"What a turn of events!" Lin's words smacked Chihiro back into reality. "It turns out that the girl who thought the dragon-boy wouldn't want to make a move on her actually _wanted _him to do so! I am _so _going to hold this against you."

"You are _so _not going to even mention it, because you still lost the bet. And you can't say anything that refers to Haku and I as a couple of any sort." Chihiro's chin lifted up triumphantly.

Lin's shoulders slumped, defeated. "I can't believe you're going to deprive me of my favorite hobby. On top of that, I spent all my money on food because I thought I'd win a week's worth of your salary..."

Chihiro actually pitied her friend, crumpled and sobbing in a corner. She held out a hand. "Come on. Let's go eat something. My treat?"

Grinning, Lin took a hold of her friend's hand and hoisted herself up. "I thought you'd never ask."

The girls laughed their way out of the Boiler Room, moving too fast to notice the eavesdropping figure in the corner of the room, carrying a supply of poison that would be perfect for soiling a human girl's dinner.

**A/N I hope you're not made at me for not having Haku and Chihiro kiss. Spoiler alert: It will happen eventually! **

**And keep in mind that in Chihiro's dream, Zeniba said that Chihiro could get hurt in the Spirit World. Hopefully that will leave you on edge until the next chapter! (I already started it, so my update shouldn't be as long). Thanks for reading!**


	12. Porcelain Doll

**A/N I'm extremely sorry for the extremely long wait and the broken promise that I wouldn't take long to update. This has been the most busiest time of my life and I have had priorities much more greater than my story. I thank you all for your patience and I hope you will continue to read and follow my work. **

"Jeez, Lin. Do you have to eat like that _every_ time we go out?"

Chihiro and Lin found themselves at the same restaurant where they had shook on the "Let's see if Haku and Chihiro will kiss" bet. Like the previous time the two had eaten here, Lin was consuming her food in a most savagely fashion.

"Eat like what?" Lin asked, pieces of meat flying from her mouth and onto her clothes as she spoke.

"Never mind."

Chihiro giggled at her friend's sharp mood swing. Not twenty minutes ago, Lin was wailing on the floor like a child throwing an unconsolable temper tantrum. Now, that same girl was happily gnawing on the bones of nearly ten different types of fish, paying no mind to the gawking customers that sat around her.

"What's so funny?"

Chihiro grinned. "Nothing."

Lin studied her friend, chewing slowly in thought.

Lin still shuddered every time she merely thought of Chihiro on her first day back in the Spirit World. She was no more than a porcelain doll then – cold, lifeless, and beautiful, but still managing to appear severely fragile, like one wrong move would shatter the girl. Now, Chihiro had since molted free of that porcelain shell and had become a glowing, fun young girl who giggled every now and then for no apparent reason. Indeed, Chihiro had undergone a drastic transformation, but there was one thing that was still needed for her to be complete.

And Lin could see that missing ingredient every time Haku was near. She could _see _it.

The only thing that reminded Lin that Chihiro's once unemotional state was not of imagination was when Haku was within Chihiro's vision. Chihiro's dark eyes would harden and grow terribly anguished as if the doll of who she used to be was trying to resurface. Once, Chihiro had appeared so pained that Lin asked the girl if she was alright. Lin had never seen such a look of want and pain throughout her centuries of working at such a laborious place.

At first, Lin thought that Chihiro was upset by Haku's presence. However, this theory quickly proved to be invalid. After all, Chihiro's warming smile and scarlet blush simply did not match up with her sad eyes.

And then realization played its role. Chihiro was in love with Haku just as much as Haku was in love with Chihiro. Chihiro, subconsciously, knew of her love for Haku but also knew of the fact that she did not have him. And she wanted him.

The prime reason why Lin had created such a bet was to show Chihiro that Haku wanted her just as much as she wanted him. It wouldn't have mattered much to Chihiro had she lost the bet because in doing so, she would have taken a massive step towards true love, and maybe the pain in her eyes would have disappeared. The bet was whole-heartedly for Chihiro's benefit.

Even so, Chihiro failed to see that, and Lin could no longer verbally push Chihiro towards her ultimate desire.

"What?" Chihiro asked, noticing Lin's boring glare.

"Are you sure that you still want to go through with the deal of the bet?"

Chihiro sighed. She knew Lin would try to find a way to once again talk about the nonexistent more-than-friends relationship that Chihiro and Haku shared.

"Why wouldn't I?" Chihiro asked. "You trying to pair me up with Haku through your childish words was the worst! I'm glad that I won't hear any of that anymore."

Lin mockingly flinched. "That's cold, Sen."

Chihiro grinned. "What comes out of my mouth is nothing compared to what came out of yours! Everything you claimed about Haku and I is untrue. Seriously, we're just friends, and we wouldn't want it any other way. Our mutual, nonromantic relationship is just what I needed from him as what he needed from me."

Lin rolled her eyes. Chihiro's little monologue was to be expected. She was, after all, constantly lying to herself.

"You humans are _so blind," _Lin grumbled angrily.

"Wha-?"

Before Chihiro could question Lin further, a shadowy server arrived at the table. He placed Chihiro's plate of salmon before her, then proceeded to trudge away.

"Excuse me!" Chihiro called after him. "I didn't order this." She pointed to the shiny, red apple that accompanied her fish.

"Somebody paid for it," the shadow whispered before seemingly dispersing amongst the air.

"How about that?" Lin elbowed Chihiro, her anger having already melted away faster than their server. "It looks like you have a secret admirer."

Lin hoped it was Haku who sent Chihiro the gift. With no offense to Chihiro, who else would? Aside from customers, the only individuals from the Spirit World who interacted with Chihiro were Haku, Lin, and Kamaji.

"I doubt that," Chihiro said. "Somebody probably mistook me for somebody else."

"Don't be so pessimistic!"

Chihiro laughed. "It's not like I'm complaining. I'm just being realistic. Even so, I'll still enjoy this..." She picked up the apple.

Somebody's hand shot out, grabbing Chihiro's wrist. Shocked, Chihiro lost her grip on the fruit. The apple landed sharply back on the table. Appearing shocked itself, the apple tottered unsteadily, unsure of where it wanted to go. A moment later, it regained its balance and came to a stop right in the center of the table.

"That was close!" exclaimed the owner of the hand.

Chihiro gasped upon closer inspection of the mystery figure. "I know you – you're name is Rei, right? We work together."

Rei smiled and released Chihiro's hand. "That's right."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Hey, what's your problem?" demanded Lin before Rei could answer Chihiro's question. Rei had all but forced the fruit from Chihiro's hand, and the two were about to start a pleasant and formal conversation as if what had just happened had already been forgotten.

"My problem," started Rei, "is that." She pointed to the apple.

Lin blinked, unamused. "What of it?"

"'What of it'?" Rei repeated disbelievingly. "I can't believe you don't notice a thing, Lin."

"Notice _what?_"

Rei snatched the apple and held in flat in her palm. Her other hand reached to the top of the apple, where her fingernails dug into the skin of the fruit like claws. She swiftly removed her hand, leaving five crescent-shaped indents in the apple. To Lin and Chihiro's surprise, a thick, green gas rose from the marks in mangled clouds and drifted out an open window.

The gas seemed to accent a newfound solemnity that was not present before Rei's discovery. Customers jumped out of their seats upon seeing the gas, appearing ready to run if the gas strayed any nearer to them rather than the course it was already traveling. Few individuals left the restaurant altogether, glaring at the three girls as they did, effectively making it clear who they thought was responsible for such a cause. Nervous conversations broke out once the gas had completely dispersed, as if the substance itself had prevented any form of communication through its very presence.

Lin blanched. She should have been more observant! Chihiro could have been hurt by a threat that Lin was fully capable of detecting. Why did she have to be thinking of Chihiro's love-life when her safety was so much more important? Of course there would be people who disliked the fact that a human was even in the same world as them. And Lin couldn't seem to remember that.

"I'm so stupid!" Lin put her face in her hands, trying not to think of the situation had Rei not arrived.

"What's going on?" Chihiro warily turned back and forth between Lin and Rei, confused by the bizarre scene and the reactions it conjured. "What was that just now?"

"Don't go berserk, but..." Rei started, hesitating.

"Yes?" Chihiro prompted, suspense threatening to crush her.

"It appears that someone tried to poison you."

xxxxx

"No wonder you didn't notice anything!" exclaimed Rei. "You're my senior by a few decades. You must have graduated before being taught; after having experienced many problems with poison in the bathhouses, the employees who were still in-training, like me, were taught how to detect it through its scent."

Shortly after Chihiro had learned of what was in her apple, the manager of the restaurant – a spirit that closely resembled a cat – had ordered the girls to leave, believing that they had purposefully brought poison into his business. The three girls were now walking through the streets of town, trying not to panic at what had just transpired.

"I still shouldn't have been so careless, so unobservant," Lin mumbled. "Because of me, Ai almost..."

"But because of _me, _nothing happened," Rei said. "You can't keep blaming yourself over something that didn't happen, Lin."

"But..."

Rei groaned. "Help me out here, Ai. Unless we talk some sense into her, Lin will never... Ai?"

Chihiro, walking a few feet behind the others, was snapped from her thoughts at the sound of her name.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Lin, it's not your fault that somebody tried to... kill me. Rei is right. Nothing happened, so there is no reason to be upset."

"See?" Rei said, averting her attention back to Lin. "Even Ai doesn't blame you for anything. Now, why don't we all just go back to the bathhouse? It's getting late anyway, and I'm sure we all need some time away from all that chaos. If you want, I'll bring you two some food from the kitchen..."

Chihiro drowned out Rei's voice, once again losing herself in the depths of her thoughts.

The message she received from Zeniba no longer felt like a dream. Zeniba had, after all, warned Chihiro of an evil spirit whose dark intentions seemed to surround Chihiro. And now, Chihiro had almost been poisoned – the whole situation felt more than just a mere coincidence.

But should the incident have even mattered? Chihiro failed to kill herself through means that made poison out to appear insignificant in comparison. It would be highly unlikely that she would have even felt the effects of the poison had she eaten it.

But Zeniba did say that the laws of life and death were different in the Spirit World than those of the human one. Perhaps Chihiro really was in danger...

No. She was fine. She had to be. If Zeniba's message was indeed legitimate, then that meant Chihiro could not save her parents.

"Why are you even here?!"

A shrill shriek of raw annoyance broke through Chihiro's consciousness, pulling her abruptly back into reality. She looked up in time to see Lin grab a fistful of Rei's shirt while Rei's hands came up automatically in defense. Other spirits had formed a circle around the girls, anticipating a fight to break out.

"We never asked you for your help!" Lin continued, her bellows bouncing back from the walls of the nearby shops. "Don't interfere!"

Chihiro ran over to the two, prying Lin's fingers from Rei's clothing. "Stop it, Lin!"

Lin reluctantly let go of the girl's shirt, her face still just as furious. Chihiro forced herself between Rei and Lin. The circling bystanders quickly realized that there would be no fight, and went on their ways, disappointed. What still remained was Chihiro, Lin, and Rei, tense by their current status.

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she was able to stop Lin before any punches were thrown. "What are you _doing, _Lin?"

"What am _I _doing? What is _she _doing?" Lin pointed an accusing finger towards Rei. "She keeps on consoling me about the whole poison-thing!"

"Is that a bad thing?!"

"No, but-"

"But what?"

"It's annoying!" exploded Lin. "I've spoken to this girl maybe twice throughout the century that we've worked together, and now she appears out of nowhere and starts comforting me like we've been the best of friends!"

"Why should this bother you? Rei's just being nice!"

"Doesn't it seem strange to you, Sen – I mean, Ai? She showed up right at the exact moment before you ate the poison!"

"And both of us should be glad that she did!"

"But why was she there? Was she stalking us or something?"

"Of course not!" Chihiro answered for Rei. "How could you even jump to that conclusion?"

"Like I previously said: I know nothing about her!"

"Exactly. You don't know anything about her, so you can't judge her, Lin."

"But what about you, Ai? Have you ever even spoken to Rei before tonight? You know her even less than I do!"

Chihiro pressed her fingers to her temple, irritated. "You're looking too much into things."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. You _always_ do!"

"When have I ever looked to much into _anything?"_

"Let's see," Chihiro sarcastically mused. "Believing that Haku and I were _in love _is just one example, and now you're pinning Rei out to be a criminal!"

"You're wrong! I just found it strange that Rei happened to be at the crime scene, and I wanted to test my suspicions!"

"Then why did you react in such a way? Why were you so fast to accuse Rei, despite her kindness, of something in which you have no proof?" Chihiro asked.

"I keep telling you that it's because I don't know her!"

"You didn't know any of the other customers in the restaurant either, and yet you're only singling out the first person to cross paths with us, who is also the same person who saved me!"

Lin could not form another comeback. The aura she felt from the girl, Rei, could not be described through words. She wanted to just thank Rei for practically saving her friend's life, but she could not shake the feeling of suspicion that prevented her from doing so. She could not help but to wonder how Rei had appeared quite literally out of nowhere just in time to save the day.

She knew that convincing Chihiro of this same feeling would be impossible.

Even so, maybe Chihiro was right. Maybe the weird feeling Lin had about Rei was all in her head. Maybe Lin was wrongly accusing an innocent girl of a crime she had taken no part in.

But even if Lin was wrong for accusing Rei, she still needed to prove so. She would never be able to free herself from the apprehensive ambience surrounding Rei if there was no concrete evidence that signified whether the girl was innocent or guilty.

Lin took a deep breath before turning towards the bathhouse. "You're right, Ai. I suppose I did overreact." She glanced up at Rei, who had been silent since Lin's meltdown. "I'm sorry, Rei. I was wrong to point fingers so quickly. You were only trying to help."

Rei only nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

Chihiro blinked, stunned that Lin actually admitted that she was wrong about something. "Lin..."

"But once we get back," Lin continued, "I am reporting what we experienced in the restaurant to Haku."

Chihiro froze. "What?"

"We can't just leave this situation unattended to. We need to get help, and I'm sure that Haku would know what to do. He's more powerful than Yubaba, and he is familiar with every corner of this town. I'm sure he'll take care of everything, and I'll know for sure if Rei had anything to do with-"

"You won't say a word to Haku."

Lin turned back towards Chihiro, surprised by the darkness tainting her voice. "...Ai?"

"Haku will know nothing of this incident." Chihiro, already stressed out enough by all the screaming beforehand, put more venom in her tone than what she had wanted to convey. On top of that, she had just gained Haku's approval to stay in the Spirit World. If he knew of the danger she was, he'd rethink his decision to let her stay.

"Ai..."

"Don't you dare say anything to him!" Chihiro repeated, her voice rising.

"What? Would you prefer for me to go to Yubaba instead?"

Chihiro flinched, not expecting Lin to suggest such an action while knowing of Chihiro's condition to stay hidden. Especially from Yubaba.

"You don't need to go to anyone. Not Haku, not Yubaba, not anybody! Nothing happened! There isn't even anything to report!"

"Ai, you were almost _killed!" _Lin screamed, her words coming across as something of pleading. "We have to deal with this somehow!"

"No, we don't! I'm fine!"

"Stop being so clueless all the time!"

"I'm not being clueless - I'm looking at the facts! And the fact is that I am _fine!" _Chihiro began pacing away, unable to handle the argument any longer.

"No, the fact is that somebody tried to kill you, and we don't know who!" Lin went in pursuit of Chihiro.

Lin grabbed the girl's shoulders and spun her around. "Listen to me! You always worry about your friends. You can't see how much you mean to others. You always do your best when you don't need to work so hard. You take your own safety for granted. You're the most caring, unselfish person I've ever met!"

Chihiro looked back at Lin, unsure of how to respond as well as the point that Lin was trying to make.

"That's why... please let me help you! Can you not see how much I'm worried about you?"

Chihiro turned her head, looking away. "You would still go to Haku."

Lin swallowed, but her words still came out in a hoarse whisper. "Yes. You know that he would be worried about you, too."

Chihiro was absolutely flattered by Lin's previous testament. She thought Lin was the most caring and unselfish person she had ever met, too. Even so, Chihiro chose her family over her friends.

She didn't want to be fighting with her best friend. She didn't want to push her best friend away.

She didn't want to be the friendless, cold being that she had once been back in her own world.

But she had to. For her parents.

"Just because Rei _could _protect me while you _couldn't_ does not mean that you have to do the same."

Her words did their job.

With shaking hands, Lin gently released her grasp on Chihiro's shoulders. Chihiro's words were hurtful, bitter, stinging, and worst of all, true.

Chihiro was right. Lin failed to protect her.

Lin had never felt so weak before. She couldn't even protect her friend from something as petty as an apple, let alone remember that Chihiro even needed protection. She was weak and dumb, dumb and weak.

But surely, Lin was not useless. She had still tried to make an effort for Chihiro's safety, to make amends with their whole relationship.

Yet Chihiro never saw the intentions behind Lin's actions. Never.

Lin turned back around and proceeded to make her way back to the bathhouse. Neither her nor Chihiro turned to bid each other one last glance. "Humans are _so blind."_

Rei, completely baffled by what had unfolded before her, shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. She could not understand why Ai had been so hysterical over the fact of telling Haku of the poison. After all, she had spotted the dragon and human together on numerous occasions. She would have thought that Sen would find relief in having her powerful friend search for her attempted murderer.

Even Lin's attitude surprised Rei. Lin was renowned for being loud, but it was astonishing to see how emotional she had become over a single human.

But the majority of Rei's bewilderment came from Lin's fist clenching her shirt. Rei, for a wild moment, thought that a punch delivered from Lin would be the death of her.

Though Lin had left a sense of awkwardness behind, Rei was just glad that all of the commotion was over.

Lin was almost out of sight, so the decision of who to follow was already decided.

"So, Ai..." Rei said, attempting to clear the tension that was still very much present. With a glance at Ai, Rei almost thought that she had mistaken somebody else for the girl.

Ai's eyes were dark and unfeeling, seeming unable to focus on anything. Her lips were set in a hard line rather than a curved frown despite the fight she had just been in. She didn't seem to notice the passerby walk into her shoulder, apologize, then continue on his way. Overall, her face was wiped of all emotion, as if Lin had taken the girl's spirit back with her to the bathhouse.

"_She looks just like a doll," _thought Rei. _"A cold and broken porcelain doll."_

**A/N I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Like I said, I'm really, super, truly sorry that I haven't updated in over a month! Even more, Haku wasn't even in this chapter! Please don't hate me! This is the only chapter (aside from the first, second, and third chapters) that he won't be in! On the bright side, school is ending soon, and I'll update a lot more frequently. By the way, if this chapter was bad, please tell me so I can revise it. I haven't written in a while, so my writing skills are probably off. And please let me know if the whole fight scene was corny or not.**

**Edit: I've made the fight a few lines longer. Please feel free to let me know if you find it too short. Thank you!**


	13. Feathers

**A/N I should probably stop writing my chapters right after midnight – I'm sleepy, and I'm sure it shows in my writing. Good thing I have such dedicated readers to let me know if there's something off with the story (don't be afraid to inform me of my mistakes). Please enjoy Chapter thirteen!**

Rei was moderately angry.

She had not paid Lin and Ai's fight too much attention. But after her shock and confusion had worn off, she realized that she herself was a primary focus of the argument. The two girls had practically screeched out every drop of air in their lungs over whether Rei was innocent or guilty without Rei ever joining the conversation. It may not even have mattered if Rei was there or not - she had absolutely no say in the matter. Did she look like a dog to them? **  
**

"I don't mean to offend you, but why were you at the restaurant, Rei?"

Chihiro and Rei were leaning against the shop where Lin and Chihiro had fought outside of. While Chihiro's world felt like it was ripping apart at the seams, the spirits who walked back and forth among the streets went on without a care to their own.

Rei giggled, embarrassed. "You see... I guess you could say that I was following you two." And it clearly proved to be a bad idea.

Chihiro felt a sharp pang of guilt. Lin was partially right – Rei had been following them.

"Please don't be upset!" Rei said, misreading Chihiro's aghast expression as rage. "I only did so because you and Lin reminded me of how Saki and I used to be."

"Saki?"

"Yeah... she used to be my best friend."

"Wasn't she that girl who didn't remember you?" Chihiro asked, remembering how Rei had begged Saki to remember her or the friendship that they used to share. To no avail, Saki left the bathhouse with no clue as to who Rei even was.

Rei smiled sadly.

Chihiro began backtracking. "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say it like that..."

Rei shook her head. "No, it's alright. Ever since she left the bathhouse, Saki has not even remembered my name." Rei sighed. "I haven't had her as my best friend for nearly two centuries, and I guess you can say that I was becoming terribly lonely. When I saw you and Lin leave the bathhouse together, I just couldn't stop myself from secretly tagging along. You two reminded me so much of the things Saki and I used to do together; I thought that watching you and Lin be friends would give me some closure for Saki's absence. I hope you don't mind!"

"Of course I don't. You should have just asked to come along, though."

Rei bowed her head. "I'm sorry. And because of me, you and Lin..."

Chihiro shook her head. "Don't worry about it! That wasn't your fault. Knowing Lin, she probably would have started a fight one way or another."

Rei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling considerably lucky that Ai did not hold her responsible for the fight. "Thanks, Ai. For a human, you're really nice!"

Chihiro managed a stiff smile, unsure if the statement could even be deemed as a compliment. Still, she said, "Thank you."

"You know, I've only met two humans in my life, one being you."

"Really? Who was the first one?"

"Her name," said Rei, "was Sen."

Chihiro struggled to hide the abrupt astonishment from her face. She had not expected Rei to say her Spirit World name, especially when she had no memory of meeting Rei.

Chihiro's attempt at hiding her shock must have been poor, because Rei asked, "What? Do you know her?"

"No, no!" Chihiro said too quickly, shaking her head. "I... I've just heard stories about her around the bathhouse."

Rei smiled. "Yeah. I'm sure you have already heard that she was somewhat of a troublemaker. And she wasn't exactly the most efficient worker."

Chihiro's smile grew even more rigid as she prepared for an onslaught of insults about her stated unknowingly to her. To an extent, she even became the slightest concerned for Rei. If she grew too insulted by whatever Rei had to say about her, she could end up tackling the unsuspecting girl to the ground. After all, there was still a fresh supply of adrenaline running freely through her body all due to her fight with Lin. She knew that her tolerance could snap at the slightest sign of hostility.

Even so, Chihiro would dedicate some effort in restraint. One fight was enough for the night.

"I've never actually talked to Sen, nor has Sen ever talked to me," Rei continued. "I doubt she even remembers me."

"_Good call," _Chihiro thought. _"Because I _don't _remember you. At all."_

Instead, Chihiro said, "You don't know that! Sen _was _just a human, right? Speaking from my own experience, something as extraordinary as finding a way into this world is unforgettable. She probably remembers every detail of this place, including who everybody was."

"You really think so?"

No. "Yeah."

Rei smiled, pleased by Ai's reassurance.

Digging through her memories of nineteen years ago, Chihiro could not remember even a glimpse of Rei's face. She hadn't even met anybody named "Rei" until she had returned to the bathhouse! Even so, Rei had seemed rather intent on making sure that she had left a mark in the girl's mind. Chihiro wondered what her own presence had meant to Rei.

"This Sen... did you like her?"

"I was raised to view humans as nasty, corrupted beings who stopped at nothing to quench their selfish needs." Rei shrugged. "They live in a world that may have once been beautiful, but is now becoming corrupted in itself due to the influence of its inhabitants."

Chihiro gulped at the woman's bitter diction as well as her inability to give a definite answer. "So... you didn't like her?"

Rei shrugged again. "I didn't _not _like her. Sen took me completely by surprise. She did not seem selfish like I had pictured all humans to be – she even risked her own safety to rid No-Face of the bathhouse, though she had allowed him entrance in the first place. Even now, I'm still grateful for the bravery she had demonstrated that day."

Chihiro became more relaxed knowing that Rei did not hate her, but the feeling of apprehension pulled vaguely at Chihiro's mind due to Rei's recurring and indefinite answer to whether she liked Sen or not.

"If Sen had not expelled No-Face from the premises," continued Rei, "I would have been digested by that monster."

...What?

Chihiro stared Rei down, trying in vain to recall anything about her. Surely she would have remembered seeing the woman being put in harm's way due to something that Chihiro willingly let into the bathhouse. Even with such factors considered, Chihiro still remained unable to evoke anything familiar about Rei.

"I guess you didn't know that I was one of the victims of No-Face's wrath," said Rei, taking note of the human's blank yet questioning stare.

"No."

Rei sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She disliked the downright memory of being eaten. "No-Face swallowed three of Yubaba's workers, and I happened to be one of them."

"_What?_" Chihiro practically screamed.

Rei nodded, unsurprised by Ai's reaction. Who wouldn't act in such a way after learning that the person she was holding a conversation with had been _eaten? _ "He ate the frog who works with us – I think his name is 'Kaeru', and then he ate the foreman and I simultaneously."

Chihiro had not been present during either of those moments, which explained why she did not remember Rei's face. But now, she remembered Lin informing her of everything that had transpired, including No-Face's consumption of co-workers.

Back then, Chihiro had known that No-Face had overeaten – that much was obvious as indicated by his massive size. But she could not even imagine Rei, or anybody for the matter, inside the spirit's stomach.

Chihiro felt even more at fault for allowing No-Face into the building now that she was speaking to an actual victim of her actions. Because of her, three people's lives had been put at stake. Sure, she had saved all who had been swallowed, but she was also the reason why they had ultimately ended up in such a condition.

"How horrible," Chihiro whispered, wishing she could apologize for her ignorance directly to the victims' faces.

"I know," agreed Rei. "That was the most terrifying and disgusting moment of my life."

"You must hate Sen for letting No-Face into the bathhouse." In the very least, Chihiro hated herself for doing such a thing.

Rei shook her head. "Like I said, I'm just thankful that Sen atoned for her mistake and saved me before I was gone for good."

"But what if she _hadn't_ saved you in time? What if you _had _died that day?" Guilt had once again manifested itself into Chihiro's mind. Chihiro _wanted _Rei to feel antagonism towards her. She deserved any hard feelings that Rei might have held over the incident.

Rei blinked at the questions that she herself did not want to think about. For what reason would Ai even ask those questions?

The story of Rei being eaten by No-Face seemed to affect Ai rather significantly. In fact, Ai seemed more upset by Rei's experience than Rei herself.

"I don't mean for my words to be misconstrued, but why is it that you seem concerned over something of the past? It's not like you caused any of that to happen, Ai."

Rei thought she saw Ai flinch ever so slightly before replying with, "I just find it hard to believe that you were actually _eaten._ I can't even begin to imagine what I would have done had I been in your place."

It seemed like an honest answer. Still, the human's questions were oddly personal, as if Ai blamed herself for what had happened. Rei could almost picture Sen asking the same things.

"Back then, I had reached for a mere nugget of gold that had fallen from the monster's body – he could make gold from the palms of his hands, you see."

Chihiro pretended to gasp, keeping up with her identity facade. "He could _make _gold?"

Rei nodded, knowing that the blunt description of such a power must have created a covetous temptation for the human as it once had for Rei. "Right when I was walking away, No-Face grabbed me and swallowed me in one gulp." Rei sighed. "Answering your question, I would not have held Sen accountable had I died that day. It was my own fault that I had ended up in No-Face's stomach; it was my own greed that had almost been the end of me."

Chihiro exhaled sharply, frustrated by Rei's answer. How come nobody ever blamed Chihiro for her own actions, especially when she actually _wanted _to be at fault? She felt like a criminal on the run, but with no justice in pursuit.

"Speaking of Sen... I just remembered something," Rei mused, her memories of Ai and Lin's argument becoming more defined as the night progressed.

"What is it?"

"Did I hear Lin call you 'Sen' before?"

Chihiro's heart raced, sweat instantly dewing on her forehead. In the heat of the argument, Lin _had _accidentally called Chihiro 'Sen.' Neither girl had thought much of the mistake, as both were too angry to mind. Now, that same, small accident could be the potential end of Chihiro.

"I – I think you're imagining things, Rei," Chihiro stammered, hoping that her voice sounded strong enough to manage a smooth recovery from Rei's observation. "All of this talk about Sen has probably gone to your head."

"Huh. You really think so?"

Chihiro nodded stiffly. "Of course. After all, you were pretty startled by the argument before, and all we've been talking about since is Sen. Plus, it's getting late, and we've both worked long hours today. I think that we could both use a good night's sleep to clear our heads."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Rei agreed. "Besides, why would Lin have referred to you as Sen? You two don't even look anything alike."

Chihiro fought the urge to roll her eyes at the girl's absolute cluelessness. "Yeah, I sort of figured that."

xxxxx

Chihiro groggily made her way to her room, Rei having already retired for the night. She wanted to succumb to sleep right where she walked on the wooden floors, but still fought to reopen her eyelids every time she blinked. Her heavy footsteps echoed throughout the silent bathhouse, not quite loud enough to awaken anybody. It had been a stressful day, and her warm sheets beckoned to her from her exhausted mind.

She had just walked up the flight of stairs leading to her level when she stopped short. Her bed was right next to Lin's.

Sleeping next to her friend whom she had just fought with would be downright awkward. She couldn't stand the thought of Lin waking up and seeing Chihiro only to understandably ignore and avoid her. And after all the hurtful things Chihiro had said, she wasn't even deserving of being in Lin's company; it had been Chihiro to wrongly push Lin away.

But where was she to sleep?

Her subconsciousness knew of a place that was just as comfortable, if not more-so, than her original bed, and Chihiro soon found herself inside the elevator. She hadn't realized that she had pressed the button to rise to the very top floor until the doors parted and Yubaba's ornamented doors came into view.

Of course, Yubaba's room was not Chihiro's destination, and she walked further down the furnished hallway.

Chihiro wondered vaguely if she was dreaming. Her legs seemed to move of their own accord, her mind fuzzy and disoriented. The vivid colors of the floors and walls swirled before her vision like a kaleidoscope, unable to form definite shapes of her surroundings.

The sharp jab of a golden door handle against her ribcage made Chihiro certain that this was no dream. She stood before another set of elegant doors, and for a moment, she thought that she had simply turned back towards Yubaba's room. But unlike Yubaba's red doors, this set was green.

Still being led by her mind drained of energy, she pushed open the doors. There was no house of mirrors like the inside of Yubaba's room. There was only one grand room, seeming too large to fit inside the bathhouse.

A dozen or so wide windows lined the far side of the room, providing Chihiro with the meager amount of light that the moon could afford to shine. Even in the poorly-lit space, Chihiro could see that the room consisted of multiple furnishings, nothing less of extravagant.

She pushed on towards the back of the room before her legs walked into something and was forced to stop.

Chihiro perked up immediately upon realizing that she had walked to the side of a bed... with somebody inside it. He was sleeping, of course, and her face blushed into a deep red when she saw that he had no shirt on. His usual dark green hair now appeared black where it was sprawled against the pillows, his usual smooth skin now glowing like the moon. He breathed steadily, completely unaware that he was being watched.

Chihiro looked around frantically, wondering what the hell she was doing in Haku's room.

Now she recognized the place! She had been brought right in the same bed when she had a fever, and her mind must have recognized it as an ideal substitute sleeping spot.

But now that she was more awake, she would have to hurry back out before the dragon realized that she had creeped over his sleeping body. While her subconsciousness had no problem with her staying the night here, her consciousness slapped her repeatedly for even venturing this far into the room! What was she _thinking?!_

Then she remembered that sleeping next to Lin was the alternative.

She swallowed, hearing her subconsciousness out. Why should she feel embarrassed about sleeping next to Haku? Before the fight, she had no problem with sleeping next to Lin. Both Haku and Lin were her precious _friends. _Chihiro shouldn't care that Haku was a guy. She shouldn't care that he didn't even know she was in his room. She shouldn't care that his muscles were still well-defined in the darkness of the night. She shouldn't care that her heart was pounding vehemently against her chest at the mere sight of him.

What was the worst that could happen? Haku might wake up and ask her to leave, but there was really nothing more that could happen. He was too kind to throw a fit over something like finding Chihiro in his bed. After all, he had seen how ornery Chihiro could be, and he most likely knew that purposely offending her would put his safety at risk.

Besides, Chihiro had no intention of having Haku find out about her sleepover. She'd simply wake up before dawn and get a head's start with work.

Plus, she was too exhausted to try to find another place to sleep.

Factors considered, Chihiro crawled into the other side of the bed. She moved slowly, controlling her weight so that the bed did not shift under her approach. Gingerly, she picked up the comforter and slipped right under it. She lowered herself to the pillows, watching him for any signs of distress.

The bed was so massive that Chihiro lay a good four feet from the dragon.

"_See?" _Chihiro thought to herself. _"There's nothing wrong with this. Just two friends spending the night together."_

Her mind had led her to a great place – she was so comfy! Now that she was actually in the bed, all of her previous apprehensions were now light as feathers, and they were lifted with ease from her thoughts.

In a matter of seconds, Chihiro was fast asleep. Hopefully, she'd remember to wake up.

**A/N Chihiro sure is naughty, isn't she? Well, like I said, I'm as exhausted as Chihiro right now, so you should expect a chapter edit. I was originally going to make this chapter and the next chapter one big one, but decided against it. But because of this, chapter fourteen will be updated within a decent amount of time (a week, maybe?). Thanks for reading, and please review!**


End file.
